The How and Why of Ginny Snape
by xXfireXflyXx
Summary: One of the various prequels to 'Him... a father? Pfffht.' - The tale of Ginny Snape.  SS/GW, DR/OC, etc.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

This story was written almost three years ago, and is a prequel to my 'Him... a father?' series, which I just finished uploading on here. The writing isn't up to par with my current writing ... Well, I'd like to think that I've gotten better. I don't really remember this story, but people have definitely expressed an interest in me posting this. So I'll move it over slowly and format it to work on fanfiction.

If you don't like the couple, I don't mind. It's a weird pairing, but I don't need people telling me it's "disgusting" etc. I get that they would never be together in canon, but this is to explain why they were together in the previous series that I've posted. That's it!

You will also get to see Draco with his first wife, Joyce. So, I suppose there's a bit of their background in this story too. I think there's more background about everything that's happening _before_ 'Him... a father?' started, but I haven't read this in a long time, so don't quote me on it.

So enjoy, if you're interested. If not, don't bother to read. (:

* * *

"Dean?" Ginny shouted, pulling her thick scarf around her neck, then stuffing it into her jacket, "C'mon! Let's get this over and done with!"

She shuffled around the entrance to Dean's bakery, then let out a huff, kicking a bit of slush off her boots. It was late December, and like most nights in the past week, Ginny and Dean were on night patrols for the Order. Although her assigned partner was adequate, she wished Harry and Minerva would stop giving her night tasks. First of all, it was dark, and currently, freezing outside. Because of this, Dean went into his usual habit of complaining about each and every little thing until the shift was over with. Their break-up in Ginny's fifth year had been awkward, and after a brief rekindling in her sixth year, and then _another_ break-up, made things even more irritating for her.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he grumbled, stepping out of the back room and locking it, completely dressed in his warm clothing, "Our shift doesn't start for another ten minutes."

"Yeah, but if we start earlier, we can end earlier," she stated, pulling her scarf up a little more to cover her entire neck, "Then I can get to bed before five in the morning... I nearly fell asleep stacking books yesterday!"

Ginny had been hired to work at a book store in order to fill her spare time, and not look too suspicious, while also earning some Muggle money to spend around London. Most of the Order had found odd little jobs here and there. Dean worked in the bakery, Seamus at a sporting goods store, while Ron fleeted between the hardware factory and several fast food restaurants in the area.

"Lupin will kill you for waking him up ten minutes early," Dean snorted, pulling on a wooly grey hat, then a set of gloves, "But it's your funeral."

"Shut up and let's go," she grumbled, stepping through the glass door and out into the cold. The wind nipped at her exposed skin, making an attack on her freckled face and hands. With a soft grumble, she realized she had forgotten her gloves, but could not bring herself to ask Dean if he had a spare pair.

So, as Dean locked up his shop, and gingerly placed a few locking spells on all the doors and windows, Ginny moodily stuffed her hands into her coat pocket, hoping they would just stay warm in there.

"So where's our round tonight?" he asked gruffly. Ginny shrugged, then began to stomp her feet lightly on the ground, trying to get some blood flow back into them, "I think we're doing the graveyards in the suburbs."

"Great."

"Can we get a coffee though, first?" Ginny whined, glancing at the glowing Muggle store, Starbucks, her mouth instantly watering for one of their coffees. Dean rolled his eyes and gripped his wand, "No. What if we need to fight?"

"There hasn't been a duel on our shift for nearly a week!" she argued heatedly, her breath coming out in wisps in front of her face, "Please... It'd warm us up!"

"No."

"Who said you get to make all the choices anyway?" Ginny snarled as they walked to their designated apparation point, "Maybe we can do something _I_ want for once!"

"We always do things you want," Dean snapped, turning into the alleyway and stopping beside a pair of metal trash cans, "I want to get this over and done with as soon as possible, alright?"

"Fine," she seethed, stepping in closer to him and folding her arms, "Fine. Let's just _go_, ok?"

"Fine by me, we'd only be doing our jobs."

Ginny stewed silently as Dean cast the apparation charms. Her temper around him was always so violent, and her brothers usually teased her about it, saying she had gotten it from her mother. Which, when she thought about it, was probably true. Not that it was a bad thing; her mother had all the male members of the family whipped into routine.

Once her world had stopped spinning, she found herself and Dean standing on an empty road, the dim lights from a few farm houses glowing in the distance. The cattle were all indoors, obviously, which meant it was going to be a very quiet night. Dean adjusted his coat, shoved his wand into hiding, then started along the side of the road, casually glancing into the forest every so often, or pausing to study an open field. Ginny always preferred to patrol in the city, but there had been too many Death Eater meetings out in the middle of nowhere, and by the time anyone from the Order caught wind of it, everything had been said and done, and the wizards were gone.

Ginny hurried up to keep the same pace, monitoring the other side of the road for activity. It was a relatively silent area, besides the doors opening from the farm houses. Sometimes they would spot a pair of children, clad in their snowsuits and leaping into snowdrifts. Other times, a man or woman would be trudging down their driveway to stuff a bag full of garbage into the trash can, then toddle back up to their homes. Muggles were always so interesting to watch. Many wizards, even some in her Order, never really took the time to appreciate them. Ginny did, and when she did notice them, she noted they were devilishly smart, and not to be taken lightly.

"You know Ron and Luna have been getting really close," Dean commented after some moments of complete silence, "You think they're gonna start dating or something?"

"I'd laugh if they did, but probably," Ginny replied, shrugging her shoulders, "Mum would be happy he finally found someone. All that's left to marry off is me and Charlie."

Ginny's brother Charlie was never really the marrying type. Since he had moved back to England, he had a few one-nighters with some of the girls he met, but usually preferred to stay single, since, apparently, women made his life stressful.

Ginny, on the other hand, was quite open to a relationship, as long as it was with the right person. So far, no one had really met her expectations. Harry came close, but he was still hesitant to date anyone, since many of his close friends, including herself, had already been targets for the Dark Lord to try and hurt. It hurt that Harry would not consider trying something again with her, but she had learned to move past it; she had to.

"Did you hear McGonagall offered Hermione a job to teach at Hogwarts?" Dean babbled, trying to keep some sort of conversation going between the pair, "She turned her down... I wonder why?"

"Hermione doesn't want to be locked up at school anymore," Ginny stated, firmly remembering her happy departure from the castle last June, "We finally finished... I think 'Mione'll work there, just not yet. We've all only been out two years, at the most."

"Hmm."

Oh, wonderful. The grunt meant he really had nothing more to say, and would wait until Ginny started up the conversation again. She usually didn't, unless she really needed to, which seemed to bother him.

All the more reason to do it. Ginny grinned.

Their shift continued on uneventfully, and when Ginny felt her toes turning numb, she glanced at her watch, noting they had five minutes left, "Let's just leave! I'm freezing!"

"We need to complete a full shift, or Harry's going to grill me again," Dean grumbled, rolling his eyes,

"Honestly... I dunno who made him king."

"Dumbledore," Ginny intoned in a matter-of-fact sort of voice, raising her nose at him, "Don't you remember his will?"

"Yeah, yeah, everything promised to Harry," Dean droned, "Including Dumbledore's position. I remember."

"Funny to hear the name Dumbledore..." a low voice hissed behind Ginny, "Such a loss for the _Order_."  
Ginny followed Dean's lightning quick reaction and whipped out her wand, then turned back to the voice, finding not one, but atleast five robed men behind her, all their wands trained at the pair.

"Evening," one chuckled, "A pair of Phoenixes out for a stroll?"

"We're enjoying such a lovely night," Ginny snarled, making out the sound of Lucius Malfoy's voice when he spoke to her. Talked down was more like it. Dean stiffened beside her, then made a move to step in front of her, but she glared at him, causing him to remain where he was. Dean cleared his throat,

"What do we owe the pleasure of being in the company of such fine gentlemen... like yourselves?"

"Just out for a walk," a young voice chimed, "Out for a _lovely_ evening."

"Among other things..." a cold voice, a new voice, hissed, causing the five Ginny had counted to step aside. She had caught sight of the dark Lord Voldemort only once since he had changed into his new form. Before, all she had known him to be was Tom, her very handsome Tom. Now, however, he was horrible. Moonlight skin that would make the stars envious, and piercing maroon eyes that caused Ginny to shake under their very gaze.

Dean inhaled sharply, and Ginny noticed his hand falter while gripping his wand. Ginny decided it would have to be _her_ that made the first move, "May I ask why you're here? We're primary members... I don't see why you'd even associate with us."

"I'm glad you know your place, little blood traitor," he purred, "However, I have a task for you, something that I'm sure a _primary_ member can handle."

Dean finally remembered he owned a voice, and spoke up, "What can we do for you?"

Ginny shot him a glare, wondering why on Earth he would give in so easily, but his eyes read he wasn't ready for a fight. Now that she really thought about it, _she_ wasn't ready for a fight. She was standing in the middle of nowhere, freezing her arse off. If they weren't going to hurt either of them, then the pair may as well do what Voldemort wanted.

"Such a polite young man," Voldemort laughed, shooting an amused smirk back to his followers, "I want you to give this to Minerva McGonagall." He thrust a letter into Dean's hand swiftly, "_Don't_ read it... It's for her eyes only. Understood?"

"Yes," Dean hissed through gritted teeth, stuffing the letter into his pocket, "We'll just be off then."

"Now, now, now, don't be hasty," Voldemort chuckled, raising his wand once again at the pair, "Malfoy... How many people does it take to deliver a letter?"

"One, my Lord."

"Good, and how many does to take to hold hostage for some extra... leverage?"

Ginny's eyes widened when he looked directly at her, and she stiffened when Lucius replied, "One."  
Dean stepped in front of her suddenly, "I don't think we need to make this a hostage situation... I'm sure McGonagall will do what you ask?"

"Are you now?" Voldemort snickered, waving his Death Eaters forward, "I'm not, and need some... insurance."

A heavy hand clamped down on her arm, and she lashed out, slamming her fist into the mask painfully. However, the pain must have been shared, as her captor suddenly released her and stumbled backward, clutching his face.

Before her mind could even think of a spell to use, she was screaming on the ground, her body shaking as a curse ravaged it brutally. Her world fell into darkness, and she heard Dean let out a muffled cry. Defeated, Ginny rolled onto her stomach, trying to protect to more venerable parts of her body. However, a savage kick to the side by a thick boot caused her to let out a gasp as the wind was knocked out of her lungs. When her beating finally ceased, she glanced up through oddly heavy eyelids, and she noticed, to her shock, that Dean was gone. He had just left her! Left her to die with them!

"Get her up," Voldemort hissed as a rough pair of hands seized Ginny by the arms. She groaned weakly and watched as a Death Eater scooped up her forgotten wand on the ground, pocketing it. A cold hand cupped her chin harshly and turned her face to the side, as if someone was examining her. Ginny brought her eyes back in to focus, and swallowed thickly when she noticed how close Voldemort was standing to her. Mustering whatever she had left, she spat at him.

Oh, it was worth the Muggle beating she received for it. She had gotten used to rough housing, since she did grow up with an army of brothers, but this was brutal. Her lower lip was swollen, and her nose felt broken after the boot that collided with it. The numbness that was once solely in her toes had spread up to most of her body, and she barely heard Voldemort rasp out for his followers to cease.

"She's still Dumbledore's girl," he mused, standing over her and rolling her onto her back with his foot, "At least she's a Pureblood... You're hands won't be sullied."

"She's a blood traitor though," someone snapped, causing Voldemort to look in their direction sharply, "She... She turned her back on us."

"I know you want to kill her, Avery," Voldemort toned silkily, "But what good is she dead?"

"What good is she alive?"

Ginny recognized that voice; Severus Snape. The very same condescending voice that taunted and sneered at her for years during school. He sounded slightly different, but perhaps that was because she had not seen him in almost a year and a half.

But by Gods how she loathed him.

"She's insurance," Voldemort replied casually, "If McGonagall disagrees, we can kill her. Slowly. Perhaps we'll find some Phoenix to watch... I'm sure it would be a good time."

How could someone speak about another human's life so casually? Ginny tried to sit up, but for some reason her head wouldn't stop spinning.

"And if they agree? What do we do with her?"

"Giving her back would make a bit of a mockery..."

She wished she could have heard the rest, but her world began to fuzz over, including the sounds around her, and before she knew it, she had passed out.

Ugh. Her head was pounding when she finally came round, and as she opened her eyes, she noted everything was still a little blurry. For nearly ten minutes she lay on whatever soft surface she had been placed on, and each time she tried to move her face, she whimpered. They hadn't actually healed her. Well, the nose was fixed, as it was no longer gushing blood, but all the cuts and such were still there, but now they were scabs, no longer fresh. It made her wonder how long she had been sleeping there.

Clutching her tender face, she eased herself up, taking in the small room. There were large, floor-length windows, covered by white curtains, which seemed to light up the room with the moons glow. It was still dark out, and as she got up to explore, she realized what she was one.

Nearly all the walls were made of glass, and covered in similar type curtains. From what she had seem, there was a kitchen with the basic necessities, a bathroom attached to her bedroom, and a sitting room with a bookshelf and a writing desk. Other then that, there was nothing. No upstairs, no spare rooms; she was in a bloody guest cottage.

There was a door leading outside from each room, but all were, of course locked. At first, she tried pounding on the glass, hoping it was weak enough to break. When that failed, she began throwing books at them, then slamming the small, wooden chairs against her barrier, letting out a frustrated sob when nothing gave way. Magic was the only answer. It must have been holding everything together.  
Purely out of anger, she ripped all the curtains off her windows, tearing them to shreds. For some reason, the white material just bothered her, and they needed to be out of her sight. Next, she moved onto the books, dragging them off the shelves and glaring at the title, screaming when she noted they were all Muggle books - science fictions, romances, horror, everything Muggle!

She began ripping books off the shelf, angered at this sick sense of mockery. The last book on the shelf, _To Kill a Mockingbird_ was the final straw, and she grabbed it. Frustrated, Ginny took a seat on the hard couch and began tearing out the pages, one by one, and tossing them onto the floor. Once she had finished, she hurled the empty cover at her glass walls that held her in the imprisonment. A shrill scream finally escaped her lips and she glared at the walls; silently cursing them with every fiber in her.

"Well, well, well, looks like our little Phoenix doesn't appreciate what we've given her."

Ginny barely heard Voldemort's soft voice as she was roused from her fretful sleep. When she was finally more conscious, she decided it would be best if she remained where she was; sprawled out across the couch.

"Perhaps she would be more comfortable in a cell?" Voldemort mused, and Ginny flinched when she felt a finger gently touch her hair. She gingerly opened her eyes, then jumped when she stared directly up into a maroon pair of orbs glaring at her, "Morning, princess."

Ginny pushed herself up and slid down to the end of the couch, taking in the sight of Voldemort, Severus Snape and Fernir Greyback standing around her, all eyes glaring.

Why on Earth Greyback was there she had no idea. From all her knowledge, Greyback usually stayed with his kind, and left the wizards be. However, there had been a lot of clampdowns and arrests on the werewolf community in the recent past, so perhaps Greyback felt he needed some sort of protection.

"Where am I?" she demanded, her voice strained, though coming out strong, despite the frightening figures looming over her. Fernir's face hardened, "You're sitting on my couch in my guest house... That you so wonderfully made your own."

Ginny shifted awkwardly, and she suddenly realized her jacket, scarf and boots were missing, something she had sort of ignored last night during her blind rage.

"Your silence stuns me, Phoenix," Voldemort sneered, clasping his hands behind his back, "We have such a big day for you... Don't we?"

"Yes, my Lord," Snape replied, almost automatically, his face pale with a non-caring glow. Ginny glanced around the glass walls, her eyes catching one of the doors. If the three had gotten in, why would they lock them? If she could get to them and make a run for it, perhaps she could escape.

"There are several tests we plan to run on you today," Voldemort explained placidly, almost enjoying the way the blood drained from Ginny's face, "I'm interested to see how much the human body can stand, and we haven't had such a nice test subject in quite some time."

"Can't you just get a Muggle?" Ginny spat, hating the way the words came out of her mouth nearly as much as the idea behind it. Voldemort smiled, "Now, now, that would require me going out and _finding_ a strong enough one. No, you'll do."

Ginny wailed as her body shook on the stone floor of a cell. She was boiling, yet freezing. Her skin was being stretched, yet at the same time it felt too tight on her body. They had been testing spells out on her all day, and slowly, she knew it was killing her.

"Please!" she begged, arching her back off the floor, her cheeks tight from the tears that stained them, "Please, no more!"

She wasn't Harry. She wasn't strong enough to handle anything that was thrown at her, and she could accept that. This was too much.

"I thought the Order would have broken them in more," Greyback sneered, kicking a bit of dust in her face as he and Snape circled her, "You were there, Snape... Don't they torture them a bit first?"

"It's highly unlikely many of them will ever feel real pain," Snape murmured, "Some of the younger ones are so _fortunate_."

Ginny finally felt the curses end, but she still ached. With a whimper, she dragged her body toward the wall, resting against it weakly.

"You think he'll let us kill her?" Greyback inquired, his voice dripping with amusement. She heard Snape clear his throat, "I don't know, nor do I care. I'm finished here."

"Aw, c'mon Snape," Fernir called as Snape crossed the room toward the door, "She's not even bleeding yet!"

"I have night rounds," Snape snarled, his black eyes darting up to Fernir's face, "And I need some sleep... Do what you wish to her, I don't care."

Ginny's eyes widened as Fernir turned on her sharply, his wand raised to her face, "Oh, trust me, I will."


	2. Chapter 2

Ginny sat back in the guest cottage, wrapped in the thin bathrobe she had found in the bathroom after taking a shower. She felt horrible; they had tested a flu spell on her today, and now she had a horrid fever, a blocked nose, and a killer throat.

She had been in the same damn guest house for nearly a week now. Sometimes they would come, drag her in to Fernir's real home and continue to test out new spells on her, weakening her daily.

The only real company she had, besides Fernir and the random Death Eater he would bring in to torture her, was the house elf who restocked her fridge every week. Not that the creature would ever speak to her, and after a while, Ginny ceased trying to coax some sort of conversation out of it.

The paper would have been nice to read, but all Ginny had were those bloody Muggle books, and she only really skimmed through them. None held what she desired; news.

She wished to know how her family was doing, and why no one had come to help her. Were they even trying?

"We have something new for you today, blood filth," Fernir explained as he shoved her into the usual room, "Tell me, what coincides with pain?"

Ginny remained silent, taking in the sight of his partner that day; Blaise Zabini.

"Answer me, girl," Fernir snarled, delivering a swift kick to the back of her shins that knocked her to the floor, "Pain and what? What to the old stories say?"

Ginny was shaking. She always started to shake at the beginning of things, then she would stop, trying to remember she had to be brave. But when hours of screaming and near passing out moments had past, she shook again.

"Don't you know?" Fernir demanded, poking her back with his foot, "I'd think any Pureblood would... Any literate one anyway."

"I can read," Ginny remarked defensively, causing Blaise to snort. She felt Fernir kneel down behind her, his mouth very close to her ear, "Pleasure goes along with pain."

"Don't touch me," she snarled when his hand landed on her shoulder. He chuckled and rose, walking around her at a deathly slow pace, "Zabini here is about to get married to a lovely Pansy Parkinson... I'm sure you know her."

"My condolences," Ginny remarked, shooting Blaise a cheeky smirk, a hint of arrogance coming to her when his eyes agreed. Fernir raised an eyebrow, "Now, Mr. Zabini here always found a little Ginny Weasley to be so attractive, I figured I'd let him test out these spells."

"What spells?" Ginny demanded, her breathing quickening as Fernir returned to the door, then left, leaving her alone with Blaise Zabini. She could take him; he wasn't that strong.

"The Dark Lord is interested in testing people's limits," he lectured, slowly circling her with his wand lazily clutched in his right hand, "Limits are not always painful."

"You're twisted," she stated bluntly before she could stop the words from leaping out of her mouth, "You're disgusting!"

"Shut up," he snapped, wrapping his fist in her hair and dragging her across the room, no destination in mind, "Shut up! I'm only doing what I was asked to do!"

"Lie to them!" she pleaded, her hands desperately scratching at his to get them out of her hair, "Just... Just tell them you pushed me to the limit, and then leave!"

For a moment, he almost seemed to be considering it. Perhaps he had not completely lost his soul, like most of them did. But, that image was shattered when he placed the tip of her wand against her neck, muttering something delicately under his breath. For a moment there was nothing, and he released her, taking a step back. It was as if he was watching her reaction. Then it hit her, and she threw her head back, a loud moan echoing in the small room. She never saw it, but he smiled.

Ginny shivered as Fernir marched her back across the snow-covered field to the guest cottage in the distance, a thin cloak covering her shoulders.

"Pity I left the room today," he mused, his wand stabbing into her back, "From what I could hear, today was a good day for you."

She stayed silent, glaring at the forest around his property. Someone could get lost in there...  
Ginny glanced over her shoulder briefly, then whipped back, slamming her fist into his cheek, then tearing off toward the forest. The depth of the snow made it so difficult to trudge through, and she nearly made it this time.

Nearly.

* * *

Ginny was taken to a different room today, nowhere near Fernir's Manor. No. She was in an elegant room, books surrounding her, and directly placed in front of Voldemort.

She hadn't seen him in months. Her first day in the guest house was their last meeting, and during the months that had spanned between them Ginny had hated him.

Hatred that she felt was deeply embedded in her now, and even looking upon his gloating smile made her want to leap across the desk at which he was seated and tear out his eyes. She waited, and stood before him in silence, a grimace on her face.

"I won," he purred, leaning back in his chair as her escort departed from the room, "I won my war."

Ginny's heart suddenly broke, and though she tried to stop them, tears began to form in the corner of her eye, "I hope you aren't waiting for some sort of praise."

"From you? No," he chuckled, knotting his pale fingers together and grinning, "We killed many of your little friends... Your father fell victim after you were taken."

Ginny's jaw tightened and he laughed, his cruel voice piercing her body, "Not even a tear? No matter. You'll be pleased to know many of them escaped... Mostly to Scotland, I assumed."

And Harry?

"Potter is with the ones who escaped," he hissed, his arrogance faltering slightly, "But we'll get him sooner or later."

"Of course you will," she remarked, a small smile tugging at the corners of her sad lips, "One day, you'll beat the boy."

For some reason, he did not seem as angry with her. Instead, he merely grinned, "Ah, little Ginevra. You've been so helpful to me... I now know when people will break through torture..."

"I'm pleased I could be of service," she spat, tucking a piece of her lengthy red hair behind her ear, "Are you finished with me? Am I here to be disposed of?"

"You've heard too many stories," he announced, letting out a sigh, "No, I intend to give you away as a gift."

"Oh?"

A gift? What sort of gift was a human being?

"One of my men has been... more than faithful to me," Voldemort stated proudly, "And I want him to be with a woman, a pretty little woman, like yourself."

Oh, now she knew what sort of gift she was. Ginny glared at him, "I won't do it."

"You don't have a choice," he hissed, rising from his seat, "I remember you wanting to belong to Potter for so long... If this doesn't destroy a little bit of your mind, Phoenix, I don't know what will. Come in!"

Ginny's head whipped back when she heard the door open, and her jaw actually dropped, something it had never, ever done before. There stood Severus Snape, his eyes wide with shock, a shared emotion.

"I promised you a reward, Snape," Voldemort chuckled, placing a hand on Ginny's shoulder tightly, "What better than a new wife to help you find a manor?"

"My Lord, this really isn't necessary," Snape stammered, his eyes locking with hers for a moment, then flicking back up to Voldemort, "You should just kill her... Save you the trou-"

"Nonsense," Voldemort boomed, silencing Snape, "You need a woman in your life, Snape. Loneliness is best served during war, and we are no longer at war."

"My Lord..."

"Snape, I am giving you a gift in such a pretty packaging," Voldemort ground out, "Are you refusing it?"  
It? She felt as though she wasn't actually considered a person; more of a thing.

"No, thank you," Snape finally got out, his eyes taking in Ginny for a moment, "I appreciate the offer."

"Good," Voldemort mused, "Now come give your new wife a kiss, then leave."

Ginny's eyes widened, and she shook her head a fraction of an inch, hoping he would notice. Whether he did or didn't, he ignored her, and swooped in, planting a very chaste kiss on her firmly shut lips.

"You two are suited," Voldemort informed the pair quietly, "Now leave. I'll have the money for your new manor wired to your account at Gringotts by tomorrow morning."

"Yes, my Lord."

"How could you just... accept me?" Ginny exploded when Snape finally let her go. More like pushed her away upon arrival in his flat, but that was not important.

"I quite happen to _enjoy_ being alive!" he snarled, ripping his cloak off and tossing it over a couch, "You think I like this anymore then you do?"

"I'm not accepting it!" she shrieked, her eyes narrowing as he stalked over to a liquor cabinet and began opening random bottles, "I'm not your wife!"

"The Dark Lord pronounced us husband and wife," Snape countered, "He now has the power to do that!"

"I don't give a damn about what he has the power to do!" Ginny exclaimed, taking a moment to look at the shabby flat they had apparated into. Gods, he lived here? No. She needed to stay focused, "You'll let me go this instant, or I swear-"

"Stop being a child," he snapped, cutting her off, "What do you plan to do? Beat me into surrendering your wand?"

Ginny froze, watching as he took a deep chug of some sort of dark liquid. She stumbled forward, "You... You have my wand."

"I collected it the night you were captured," he admitted, glaring at his reflection in the window to his right, "So yes, I do."

"Give it to me..." she asked weakly, moving toward him, "Please... Please, I need my wand..."

"I highly doubt that," he snorted, his eyebrows rising, "Do you think I would give it up so you could apparate out to safety?"

"I just... haven't touched it in ages," she whimpered, her fingers twitching, as if they were reaching out to grasp her good old wand, "Please... Please let me have it."

"In time," he grunted, "For now, we need to decide what to do with our... situation."

"There's nothing special that needs to be done," she emphasized, following him around the flat as he moved from room to room, her eyes narrowing when he placed locking charms on all of the windows,

"You give me my wand, I run home. It's easy as that. If anyone asks, I attacked you from behind."

"I doubt anyone would believe someone like you could attack and stun someone like me, someone who is a great deal older, and has more skills with a wand."

"I bet I could if I was given the chance!"

"Yes, well I don't plan on giving you that chance."

"Why not? Snape, I-"

"Don't spit my name as though it disgusts you... You're no longer a Weasley, let me remind you."

"How dare you! Don't think this is... legal! Only things done by the Ministry-"

"What Ministry? You've been locked away for months, you know nothing!"

"Tell me what I-"

"The Dark Lord seized the Ministry almost a month ago!" he snarled, his face very close to hers as they stood glaring at each other in the hallway, "The Minister was killed, and the last defense was your Order."

"The one you betrayed-"

"Don't give me that song and dance, Ginevra," Snape boomed, "I'll have none of that in this household!"

"So what, you order me around and I do what you ask?"

"I ... I don't know! I don't want a wife!"

"Well I don't want a husband!"

Finally... They agreed on something.

Ginny sulked after Snape all the way into the deep vaults of Gringotts. She had spent her first night in Snape's flat on his lump old couch, while he locked himself away in his room, apparently trying to suffocate himself with his pillow. All of the doors were locked, and when Ginny managed to pry one open, she shrieked in horror when an alarm went off.

She spent a great deal of the night _tied_ to the couch.

He had barely any food in the house, so he was forced to take her out to breakfast at some Muggle cafe down the street, in which they asked if his daughter would like some more coffee. If she hadn't been so annoyed with the situation, she'd have laughed. The look of pure rage on his face when he tightly replied to the waitress Ginny was his wife was enough to make her snort aloud, but she merely smiled at the sympathetic look the woman shot her.

"Your vault received a considerable amount this morning," the driver informed the couple as they drove along the underground system to Snape's vault, "Nothing illegal happening?"

Ginny snorted loudly, "Did you not see who just came into power?"

Snape shot her a glare over her shoulder, and she cocked an eyebrow, challenging her to berate her. The driver chuckled, "Now now, let's not insult the Lord Voldemort... He owns Gringotts after all, since the Ministry is gone."

"And don't forget it," Snape snapped as the cart pulled to a stop, "Wait here, Ginevra."

She crossed her arms angrily and glared at the back of his cloak as he swept toward his vault, pulling a small silver key out from his pocket. There was a chance that they could just leave him there in the vault...

"If I paid you, would you drive away right now?" Ginny inquired softly, leaning closer to the driver. He glanced at the open door, then smirked, "Run away from Snape... You're mental."

She shot him the foulest look she could muster, then fell back in her seat, letting out a puff of air. Well, it's not like she was going to just sit there and wait. Defiant as ever, she clambered out of the cart and strolled up to the vault, her jaw dropping when she noticed the mass amounts of gold inside, "Merlin's beard..."

Snape stood up straight, whipping back, "I thought I told you to stay in the cart!"

"Ha," Ginny snorted, rolling her eyes and sliding in, "I got bored... Don't think I'm going to listen to you just because Voldemort said we're married, which doesn't count just by the way."

She crouched down to examine a small stack of coins, something that she had never really seen up close before, then let out a startled yelp when Snape slammed the door to the vault shut. Ginny leapt up, her eyes wide, "What the Hell are you doing?"

"I'm perfectly capable of getting out, as are you, when I say you may leave," he ground out tightly, glaring at her, "But we need to make a few rules before we leave."

As he advanced on her, Ginny nearly toppled back into a pile of glittering coins, causing him to smirk, "First of all, I do not mind arguing with you, because I know that I can win."

Oh really? Well, apparently he didn't remember Ginny was a small version of her mother, who never lost a pointless fight yet.

"However, in public you will follow proper protocol as a wife and do as I say," he continued silkily, towering over with a grin tugging at his lips, "The Dark Lord basically performed a marriage... You'll never be called Weasley filth again."

Ginny stared at him blankly, then broke out into what she had been shouting at him for nearly an hour the previous night, "Do you not see the age difference between us? How is this not bothering you?"

"I'm not happy with it, but I can adjust," he snapped, his eyes flashing, "I've _learned_ how to make tiring situations seem enjoyable, and I'm sure we can do the same with this, wife."

"I'm not your wife!"

"Yes, yes you are," he droned, rolling his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, "No matter what you say, nothing is going to make a difference."

"We'll see."

Ginny trudged out of Gringotts behind Snape, squinting when she stepped out into the sun and Diagon Alley. How the Death Eaters could transform this place into an equivalent Knockturn so quickly was completely beyond her understanding. There were no flower shops on the side of the road, no one selling little sweets to the children. There were people, yes, but not her sort of people. Rich ladies walked in expensive cloaks, probably wives, and usually smiled at Snape when they passed him, and gave her some sort of look over before gossiping to themselves.

Thankfully the Prophet no longer cared about the romances of the world's leading people, as she was sure her 'marriage' to Snape would be somewhere in that dratted paper.

A thought suddenly struck her; Fred and George owned a shop just a few alleys over. What had happened to them? Were they hurt?

Perhaps they could hide her...

Snape looked over his shoulder, most likely checking to see if she was still there, and Ginny pretended to be studying a few cauldrons in a shop window as they passed.

"Keep up, Ginevra."

"Keep up... You keep up," she muttered stupidly under her breath, glaring at the back of his head.

Finally, when she timed it just right, she took off toward a split in the road, hearing Snape shout after her as she ran. Freedom! Freedom! Freedom ... For about ten seconds. A pair of strong arms suddenly shot out and wrapped around her waist, winding her completely. She struggled vainly, reaching back and trying to slap the person who dared to touch her, "Get the fuck off me!"

"Oh, c'mon Mrs. Snape," Draco Malfoy snorted, wiggling a little to control her, "It's not very nice to run away from your husband."

"She is a feisty little one, isn't she," Lucius Malfoy added as Snape caught up, "My, my, Severus... You've got yourself a fun one."

"I'm sure she's been waiting to do that all day," Snape growled, grasping her arm and dragging her away from Draco, "I'll deal with you later."

"Aw, c'mon Uncle," Draco chuckled, his hands in his coat pockets, "Maybe she needed a run... Being locked up for months give people the urge to do it-"

"Very funny," Snape grumbled, shooting Ginny a dangerous look, "We have houses to go look at... Come along, _dearest_."

"How can you like this one?" Ginny seethed as she followed her so-called husband around a rather dark and dreary manor, "There are no windows... How are we supposed to know if it's day?"

"There are such things that tell time, like clocks," he replied sarcastically, leading her down into the basement, "I like the dungeons... An excellent place to store my Potions equipment."

"So you actually enjoyed Potions?" she snorted, raising her eyebrow at the damp room, "You didn't just teach it because you were asked to."

"In the beginning, I did," he said simply, tugging on a set of chains that were hanging from the walls, "These may come in use if you decide to run off again."

She glared at him sourly, but mentally grinned. Her ten second run for freedom was enough to make him realize she wouldn't hesitate when presented with the opportunity, and until only moments ago, he spent most of his time walking behind her.

"Don't you dare even joke about that," Ginny prattled, crossing her arms over her chest and wrinkling her nose, "You couldn't get me into one of those... Not that I'd let you try or anything."

"Oh?"

Before she knew what had happened, he was pulling her toward the chains, and she barely had time to plant her feet on the ground to keep him from pulling her across the room.

"Let go!" she demanded, viciously trying to rip her hand out of his. With a little difficulty, he heaved her up against the wall, then clamped one shackle down, and while she was distracted with that hand, he shoved another on the other, leaving her chained to the wall.

"Now listen," he ordered calmly, despite the constant string in insults she sent his way under her breath, "I'm not asking much of you. I plan to buy this manor since it is the largest one we have seen, and you will have all the personal space you need. In turn, all I ask for is respect when we are in public, is that understood?"

"No!" she shrieked, rattling the chains, "No! I'm not... I'm just going to..."

Oh, Gods she was going to start crying. No, she couldn't. Not in front of him. It was just; the stress of it all was finally mounting. She hadn't seen her family in months, or her friends. Torture had almost been a way of life in her prison, and now she was forced to endure more of it?

"All you want is respect?" she murmured, stepping out a little to him, "You don't want what other men want from a wife?"

Her voice was low, husky, one that always made Dean melt when she wanted something. Severus Snape, however, cocked an eyebrow, "Are you trying to be seductive, Ginevra? I'm not a little schoolboy."

Her face fell, slightly shocked, "You can't tell me you expect us to sleep in separate rooms! Aren't you... normal?"

"Though you are physically attractive, yes," he relayed, his eyes traveling over her slowly, "I have no desire, at the present time, to consummate our marriage."

She let out a sigh of relief, almost looking at him thankfully. He smirked, "Though I will require you share a bed with me."

Her eyes widened, "I thought you _just_ wanted respect?"

"I want a proper wife who will share a room with me," he reflected curtly, "I've already been clear that I do not plan on _touching_ you."

"I suppose so..." she muttered, shaking her head, "But... I need to ask you some things."

"Not now," Snape remarked, "I need to go sign the deed to the house."

She watched him walk off, his back stiff and straight, the complete opposite of every older male she knew. They were always so relaxed; this would be difficult.

"Wait!" she called, shaking the chains, "Let me go!"

"Perhaps you shouldn't have run off... I'll be back."

Ginny stared down at her steak, then across the table to Snape, watching as he cut it with ease. They had purchased the darkest, gloomiest manor in all of England, it seemed, though Ginny did enjoy how big it was. Perhaps it was the little girl in her reminding her she was there, but Ginny had always wanted a large house. Growing up in the Burrow left much to be desired when it came to owning things.  
Also, with such a huge house, she spent most of the day exploring, after Snape had unshackled her. They argued over where the master bedroom would be, and in the end found one on the floor above the pair of rooms they both liked and figured a compromise would be the easiest solution.

"You said you had questions for me," Snape stated gruffly after swallowing a piece of steak, "Would you like to ask them?"

She set down her knife and fork, then leaned forward, "Right... Uh. I was wondering if I could see my family?"

May as well go for the tough ones now. Snape continued eating his dinner, not really caring, or so it seemed, that she was nearly falling off her chair waiting for his reply, "No."

"What?"

"Ginevra, I wouldn't mind you seeing your family, but I'm afraid most of the Order has fled the country, and I promised I wouldn't let you out of England until everything was settled."

"What about Fred and George? They live here."

"I don't see any harm in that, as long as they do not come here... I have no intention of trying to defend myself from your angry brothers when they think I've cursed you into marrying me."

That would actually be interesting. She was sure Snape could handle her twin brothers one at a time, but she didn't think they would allow him that chance. Ginny cleared her throat, "Alright... Do you plan on teaching anymore?"

"No, never," he grumbled, meeting her gaze, "I do not want to return to that life."

"Then what do you plan to do?"

"The Dark Lord has required me to follow his orders until he has things under control, and I will do what he asks of me."

"He tells you to jump, you ask how high sort of situation?"

"It would be no different to Remus Lupin ordering you to go out on patrols, let me remind you."

"Yes, well, Lupin isn't an evil genius bent on dominating the world."

Had she made this comment to Lucius Malfoy, or Fernir Greyback, she was sure there would have been shouting, perhaps a curse here and there. Snape merely smirked, and took a sip of his wine, "No... I suppose he isn't."

"I hardly call that bed attire, Ginevra," Snape commented as she exited the bathroom, switching off the light behind her. She cocked an eyebrow and looked down at her Chudley Cannons jersey she had found amongst a pile of clothing that was left in the house. Snape promised to have all of her things from her apartment in by the next day or so, and for now, she was stuck with what she could find. Surprisingly, he had not suggested she sleep nude, which was what many boys her age had hinted whenever they were sharing sleeping arrangements.

"I found something comfortable," she stated bluntly, planting her hands on her hips, "Is something wrong with that?"

"Please don't stand like that," he pleaded, his eyes returning to the book he had been skimming through on the bed, "You remind me terribly of your mother."

"That's not a horrible thing, you know," she snapped, climbing into the bed beside him, her eyes suddenly drifting over to his bare chest. He was sleeping with a pair of pants on, but that didn't mean she wasn't allowed to look elsewhere. He was not chiseled, nor was he overweight. He was thin, his arms with some extra muscle, and a long scar along his side. Pale.

"Where did you get that?" she inquired, nodding down to his scar when he glanced up at her. He looked down, then sighed, "That damn Hippogriff Hagrid insisted upon keeping-"

"Buckbeak?"

"Yes, that one," he droned, a little irritated with her interruption, "Nearly mauled me when I was taking a stroll around the grounds one afternoon... Of course it was kept rather quiet, but Dumbledore was always good at keeping things quiet when he needed to."

Her eyes flashed dangerously at the mention of Dumbledore from his lips, but she said nothing, her jaw set tight.

Severus Snape actually seemed a much more relaxed man than she had expected. His words flowed freely, and he did not seem to treat her as the filth many thought her to be. Perhaps it was all those years of solitude that made him eager to talk.


	3. Chapter 3

"Severus, can't we just say I was sick and skip this whole bloody thing?" 

"I wish, I really do." 

Ginny let out a huff and continued applying some make-up in the mirror, a little more forcefully then she had before. That evening, after almost a month of 'marriage' to that man, they were going to some sort of party with all the 'War Heroes', as Voldemort proclaimed them to do. Gods, it was nauseating.  
Their marriage worked on one rule; stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours. Snape spent a lot of time working on Potions that he would send to the hospital for people that were badly injured, and Ginny usually spent the day with Fred and George. He had accompanied her once to her brothers' shop, and made it loud and clear that if either Fred or George caused him any hassle, he'd have their shop closed down. While Ginny was upset by the remark, she knew he was just doing it to frighten them a little, and she was thankful when he gave her some time alone. 

The twins were more than ready to slaughter him where he stood, but Ginny managed to calm them down, and quickly stated that with Voldemort in power, it wouldn't be smart to rebel against anything, at the moment. So, for now, they needed to lay low, and Ginny needed to continue pretending to be in this marriage with Snape. 

"Ginevra-" 

"Look," she sighed, catching his gaze in the mirror as she applied some eyeliner, "You made it clear that you wanted me to call you Severus, fine. But I don't want you to call me by my full name... It makes me sound old." 

"It makes you sound sophisticated," he countered, buttoning up the cuffs on his sleeves, "But I suppose I could try... _Ginny_ out for size." 

"It's only a bloody name," she grumbled, capping her eyeliner and stuffing it back in her make-up box, then straightening up, "How long do we need to stay?" 

"If you can fake a good sickness, maybe two hours, at the most," Snape replied, a small grin on his lips, "But if you can't... Sometime into the morning, I suppose." 

"Well, you will have to back me up once I get sick then," she sniped, squirting herself with her near-empty perfume bottle, then setting it delicately on the dresser. It was her favourite perfume; it was not sweet, per say, but it had this Christmas sort of smell that Ginny had always loved. 

"Well, let's get going then," he sighed, holding out his arm for her to take. Ginny glanced down at it, then cocked her eyebrow, "What are you doing?" 

"I'm being a gentleman," he snarled, his eyes flashing, "I know you aren't used to social functions growing up in that hovel, but I'm trying to culture you." 

Ginny glared at him, then planted her hands on her hips, "Look, we're not some old, rich married couple... So I'm not walking like that with you... The very least I would do is hold your hand." 

"Oh for Merlin's... "He inhaled deeply, something Ginny noted he did when he was trying to calm down, "Fine. Fine. We'll hold hands." 

"Why?" 

"Because we're _married_," he stressed sourly, "That's what married couples do." 

"Yeah well..." 

She couldn't really argue they weren't married anymore. He had given her a ring and everything; not that it was legal. But what was she supposed to do? She had tried running away several times over the past month, and in the end just gave up, seeing as she couldn't leave the house, by magic or by foot, without setting off some sort of alarm. 

"Come along then," he snapped, snatching up her hand and pulling her into him, one arm around her shoulders for the joint-apparation. Ginny grumbled something softly, then looked up at him, "You know, if you just _gave_ me back my wand, you wouldn't need to do this every time we go out." 

"Somehow I don't trust you with a wand," Snape replied tightly, and Ginny soon felt the familiar squeezing sensation of the act. When she gathered her bearings again, she was standing in a grand hall, with countless people she didn't know, clutching Snape's hand. Her dress made her distinct from the other women in the room; they were elaborate, while Ginny was plain. A lone dandelion in a sea of roses, as odd as the metaphor felt. However, Snape was dressed in his usual black robes, which did comfort her slightly. 

"Are all of these people Death Eaters?" she whispered as Snape led her down a lengthy staircase, which gave them a wide range view of the ballroom and dining area below. Snape shrugged, "Perhaps. Many aren't... Many are patrons who supported the Dark Lord only financially, but not on the battle field."  
"So they wouldn't get the mark then?" 

"Look around," he chuckled, nodding to an elderly pair of gentlemen who were chatting, "Most are too old, too weak, or too young to get it. The Dark Lord has become very picky about who receives the Mark and who doesn't." 

"Why?" 

"Why all the questions suddenly?" 

"Because I know you'll answer them." 

She felt his eyes dart down to her, but she continued to study the rich ladies around her. Their hair was so smooth looking, and elegantly spun up into buns and braids. Their cloaks were only the finest material Ginny had ever seen, and almost made the ladies float as they walked. She could never be like them. 

Nor did she really want to be. 

"So is this your Upper Crust sort of people?" Ginny asked in the poshest accent she could must, stepping into him to allow a couple to get past them on the stairwell.

Snape looked down at her, a grin on his face, "Ginevra, you've lived with me for nearly well over a month... Do you _think_ this is my sort of crowd?" 

"Suppose not," she sniffed, continuing down the stairs and pulling him off toward the drinks table, "Have we seen enough? May we leave?" 

"I'd like to more than you would, I can assure you," he remarked through slightly gritted teeth, forcing a smile at a rather boisterous couple who had exploded with laughter near them. As Ginny helped herself to some punch, she noticed Lucius slide up to greet Snape, a similar look of discomfort on his usually cool features, "Narcissa bloody well had to drag me to come to this damn thing." 

Before she could help herself, she snorted loudly into her hand, and turned back to the men, a giggle slipping loose. He smirked, "Something amusing, Lady Snape?" 

She held in a scowl, but continued to gloat him over with her eyes, "I always took you as a social-function sort of bloke." 

"I see you still haven't taught her etiquette yet, Snape," Lucius commented, shooting his friend a somewhat playful look. Snape raised an eyebrow, "I see nothing wrong, Lucius." 

Ginny shot him an appraising grin and took a sip of her punch, blocking out the conversation between Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy. She spotted Narcissa, Lucius's wife whom she had met once, standing with a pregnant woman... who... Oh, Gods it was Pansy Parkinson! 

And she was walking this way! Ginny let out a soft groan and turned her attention back to her husband, hoping the women hadn't seen her staring. Snape's eyes flickered up and she watched his face tighten; apparently he had a bit of a hate for Pansy Parkinson, even though she was now Pansy Zabini. 

"Hello, Severus, Ginny," Narcissa greeted when she arrived, leaning across and planting a kiss on Snape's cheek, then a lighter one next to Ginny's, "I'm sure you both remember Pansy." 

"Mrs. Zabini," Snape greeted, casually accepting her hand and giving it a squeeze, "Congratulations on the baby." 

"Thank you," she beamed, smiling down at her stomach, "We think it's a boy... Blaise wants to name him Darius." 

"Well, whatever the child may be, he or she will be hopping around Hogwarts at the same time as my second grandchild," Narcissa chuckled, patting Pansy's thin arm tenderly, "We discovered it's a girl... Eloise." 

"Oh, how lovely." 

"Isn't it?" 

Oh for the love of the Gods. Ginny rolled her eyes inwardly and placed her empty glass of punch on the table behind her, then grasped Snape's arm, "Dearest, I'm feeling a little ill, excuse me." 

Ginny spent a good ten minutes in the bathroom, pretending to fix her hair whenever someone came in. Not many of the ladies knew her as Ginny, but as Mrs. Snape, and were unusually kind. Perhaps her 'husband' had more power in this new world then she expected. 

"Oh, for the love of... Eloise, stop kicking mummy..." 

Ginny glanced up from the mirror and noticed a lovely blonde woman stepping into the bathroom, a hand on her bulging stomach and a scowl on her beautiful features. 

"Oh, sorry," she chuckled, shooting Ginny a smile, "Don't think I'm crazy or anything... My daughter to be won't stop kicking me... Just like her ruddy father." 

"Her father kicks you?" 

"Metaphorically speaking," she added hastily, extending her hand, "Joyce Malfoy... I don't think we've met." 

"Ginny Weasley," Ginny replied, her eyes widening, "I mean Snape... Ginny Snape." 

"Ah, you're his wife," Joyce sighed, "I'd pity you, but you've got it made for someone so young."  
It was nice to find someone who spoke like her, for once, at these stupid gatherings. Actually, it was nice to find someone who spoke _to_ her. 

"So you're married to Draco then?" Ginny inquired, sitting up on the counter and cocking an eyebrow as Joyce leaned back against the wall, her hands folded over her stomach. The woman rolled her eyes, "I wouldn't call it a marriage, but yes... We're married." 

Oh, Ginny liked her already.


	4. Chapter 4

Snape made another glance in the direction of the bathrooms, wondering where the bloody Hell Ginny had run off to and why she was taking so long. There was only a short length of time he could stand being around Pansy. The woman was far too much like her mother, which was just horrible.

He let out a sigh and took another sip of his drink, which Lucius had replaced with one of more alcoholic substance, muttering it would help them pass the night. Ginny was indeed shocked when Lucius came over to complain, and Snape could see why; the man _did_ seem like the social-gathering type. However, he was the opposite, as far as Snape knew.

Ah, relief had arrived in the form of Lucius's prodigy, Draco, a slightly afnnoyed look on his usual placid features.

"Has anyone seen Joyce?" he inquired politely, though when Snape privately pressed into his mind, he could see his godson was fuming.

Narcissa, as elegant as ever, tutted at him, "I noticed her wandering off to the bathroom, a little distressed... What have you gone and done now?"

"Mother!" Draco hissed, plainly trying very hard to not roll his eyes, "I haven't done anything... I offered to get her a glass of sodding-"

Lucius cleared his throat, and Draco finally rolled his eyes outwardly, "A glass of punch, and then hit me with her purse and stalked off... It wasn't my fault!"

Snape snorted, though he instantly knew the moment he did, his own marriage would be brought into play.

"So where's your wife, Uncle?"

Ah yes, his wife. He liked the sound of it. They weren't the traditional happy couple, but he never wanted that. If he was being quite frank, this last month had been the happiest he had been in a long time. Ginny was not perfect, nor was he. They spent time fighting, which kept his wit sharper than ever, and they spent time alone, which was always nice; he was a private man. But at the end of the day, he still had a gorgeous woman sleeping beside him at night, making up for everything.

They were not romantic, as Snape was not a romantic man, but he could see why Voldemort had forced her on him. Their personalities matched, and Snape supposed that if they were going to be forced to live together, that mattered more than the intimate appeal that came along with marriage.

"She was feeling ill," Snape finally answered, draining the rest of his drink, "I think I'll take her home..."

"You're a match for each other," Narcissa droned, raising a perfect eyebrow, "Somehow _you_ always fall ill at these gatherings and go home... Leaving Lucius to sulk by himself."

"I do not sulk."

"Oh, of course not, dearest."

Snape held in a grin, then nodded to Pansy, "I suppose I should find her though, perhaps she's gotten lost."

"Yes, go do that then."

"If you see my wife, tell her I'm looking for her," Draco muttered sourly, stalking back off into the crowd, his eyes skimming the people.

Snape smirked, "Such an interesting way things turn out, don't you think?"

"What, that my daughter-in-law hates this family?" Lucius snapped softly, shooting Snape a dirty look, "Yes, very _interesting_."

A delicate hand touched his, and Snape actually flinched when Ginny slid into place next to him, a tall, pregnant blonde woman at her side.

"Oh, there you are dear," Narcissa cooed, smiling at both Ginny and Joyce Malfoy, "Joyce, Draco just went off to look for you."

"I may just give him time to cool off," Joyce remarked, her voice placid, yet cultured for the company, "He seemed a little cross with me."

"What would have given you that idea?" Lucius asked, his tone sneering a slightly sarcastic, which earned him a surprising glare from Ginny.

Joyce shifted, "Well... I suppose I was a little rash with him."

"It happens," Narcissa beamed, smiling down at her daughter-in-law, "Come, I'll steer you off in his direction... Coming, Pansy?"

"Damn brat," Pansy muttered softly, placing a hand on her stomach, "Excuse me a minute... Baby is acting up."

"Of course."

And with that, all three women vanished into the sea of people, Joyce shooting a wimpish look back to Ginny, who smiled. Snape wasn't too sure why Draco and that woman were still married, as they both clearly had difficulties tolerating each other. Not that he and Ginny didn't, but the younger Malfoys had a harder time coming to an understanding then his wife.

"Merlin, Draco's an arse."

Lucius instantly coughed on his sip of 'punch', and Snape slowly looked down at Ginny, a sour expression on her freckled face. Normally she wasn't so blunt in public, only in the beginning she was, really. She had adjusted to high society well.

Or so he thought.

"Any reason why my son is an ... arse?" Lucius sniped, wiping the corners of his mouth.

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Well, Joyce specifically told him she was feeling ill, and the punch here was going to make her sick, and what does he do? He goes and offers to get her a drink! It's like he wasn't listening at all!"

Lucius stared at her for a moment, then snorted, "Men usually don't listen to a woman's rants."

"Severus does," she argued, her arms threatening to rest on her hips as they usually did when she debated things. Lucius cocked an eyebrow at him, and Snape quickly shook his head, signally he normally tuned out her rants, unless they were of some importance. Ginny rolled her eyes, "I saw that... C'mon, let's go home, I don't feel well."

"You seem just fine, Mrs. Snape," Lucius mocked, finishing his glass and setting it back on the table, "Or is this one of those sudden sicknesses?"

"We're leaving, no matter what you say," Ginny chuckled, allowing him to raise her hand in farewell, "You can go find your wife, or sulk here by yourself. I'm sure Narcissa would like to dance."

"I do not sulk," Lucius ground out dangerously as Ginny turned away, and Snape bid his old friend goodbye, for now.

With a small smirk, he added, "You sulk, friend... Go find something strong to get you through the night."

* * *

"You handle yourself very well around the Malfoys, Ginevra," Snape commented as they got ready for bed. He heard her sigh with annoyance, then corrected himself, "Ginny."

"They're just people," she stated, coming out of the bathroom in the long nightdress she had purchased when Narcissa took her out for a day, "It's not like they are monsters no one can speak to."

"Many think that."

"Many are too used to their Death Eater traits."

"And you forgive them for it?"

"No... But I've learned to accept it and try to move past."

Snape stood on his side of the bed, watching as she slid under the covers, reaching for her book on the nightstand. She was so mature, for someone only just out of Hogwarts. Young as she was, when they were alone, they didn't seem to have an age difference at all. Did she feel it too? Perhaps, but perhaps not.

He crossed the room and began removing his shirt, his eyes drifting down to her near empty perfume bottle. She made such a fuss when they imported her belongings, and was in a right state when she couldn't find the bottle. He sarcastically reminded her she was a witch, and could easily just _summon_ the bloody bottle. When she finally did, she muttered something about getting it from her grandmother, who had passed, when she was just a child, and she always loved the smell.

Hmm. He hadn't really taken the time to... smell her, and couldn't really place in his mind what it smelled like. Glancing over his shoulder, he took a step closer and raised the bottle to his nose, inhaling silently. Ah, yes, this was Ginny. Maybe he had smelled her more than he noticed? Odd as it felt to say, there was a sort of autumn whiff floating out of the bottle.

He was skilled enough, at his age, and after countless years of teaching Potions, that he was able to pick out the different ingredients in the perfume. With a little smile, he set it down, and tossed his shirt into the hamper, then sliding out of his pants. In the mirror, he noticed Ginny's eyes flicker up, then down, then back up again hastily before turning a page forcefully, a blush on her cheeks.

_That_ had never happened before... He frowned and looked down at himself, he was just in his boxers. What on earth caused that reaction? Shaking his head, he pulled on his sleep-pants and stretched, grunting when he heard his back crack.

"That's not good for you, you know?"

"What, stretching?" he droned; finally climbing into his large bed and resting his head back against the pillow.

Ginny rolled her eyes and her book closed with a loud snap, "No, purposely cracking your back... You're going to end up all stiff and gross when you're older."

"I've never heard someone describe arthritis as gross before," he laughed, his features relaxing, "I'm proud of you."

She stiffened, "Why?"

"You've handled this better than I expected," he answered honestly, resting his hands on his stomach, "I had expected more... of a struggle, really."

Hmm. That sounded a little worse than he meant, "I mean... About the Malfoys and those ruddy parties we've been going to, and upper-class living-"

"As long as you treat me well, and I can see my brothers whenever I please, I won't make a fuss."

Oh. Well, he could live with that.

* * *

"Severus... This... This wasn't necessary!"

Did that mean she liked it? Before he could send a witty, typical remark her way, he found himself nearly knocked over as Ginny leapt up to hug him, her arms roughly around his neck. He grinned tightly,

"Well... I... I noticed you didn't have any left."

He had done it, he had made her some more perfume. It wasn't very difficult; most of the ingredients were down in his storage anyway. Ginny pulled back, her arms still around his neck, and planted a kiss on his cheek, a wide grin on her face, "I thought I'd have to go look for a new one... And it'd be impossible to find."

"Well... It wasn't anything you need to get excited about," he muttered gruffly, picking at his sleeve when she finally stepped away. Why did he suddenly feel so uncomfortable? She was just a slip of a girl; nothing to feel uneasy about.

Well, she was his _wife_, and such a pretty little wife...

"Severus, are you even listening to me?" she snapped, poking him hard in the ribs. That jolted him from his musings, and he glared down at her sourly, "What?"

"I said I was going out for lunch with Joyce today," she repeated slowly, her arm sliding flirtatiously up his arm, "I should be back in an hour or two."

"Right, right... That's fine. I was planning on seeing Lucius for lunch anyway."

"Right, see you later then."

"Have fun."

Oh, Gods. This wasn't happening... Not after only being with this damn girl for less than a month... Well, maybe _over_ a month, almost two. He was actually tolerating her on a higher level.

What was happening?


	5. Chapter 5

Ginny scoped out the restaurant, spotting Joyce sitting at one of the back tables, dipping a crisp into her virgin margarita. Smiling, the redhead made her way toward her newfound friend, but paused halfway along, a frown suddenly appearing on her lips. People had just smiled at her... given her respect? What was happening?

She had apparated into Diagon Alley, or whatever the Hell they were calling it nowadays, and people had said hello to her as she walked along the street. No one she knew had been in the Alley, yet people still greeted her. Even the elder, more elegant ladies having tea outside in the chilly weather grinned, one even winked!

Shaking her head, she continued, clearing her throat loudly as Joyce shoved the chip into her mouth.

"Oh!" she grunted, wiping her mouth and dusting off her salted hands, "Sorry... I got a little hungry."

"No worries," Ginny laughed, removing her thin cloak and setting it on the spare chair, then sliding into the seat across from Joyce, "I was running late."

"It's all right, really."

She picked up the menu, then slowly looked up at Joyce when she noticed the woman was watching her. Feeling slightly awkward, she shifted in her seat, "What?"

"You're quite smiley today," Joyce commented, shrugging her shoulders, "More than you were at the party... What did he do?"

"What makes you think _he_ did anything?"

Oh, but he did do something. He made a larger batch of her favourite perfume, without her even asking him to do it! She couldn't help but be a little flirty back with him for it, even if it _was_ Snape. What other man did she have in her life now? It's not like she could ever go have an affair with someone... She was capable of many things, but she could not, and would not, commit adultery.

"Come on, Ginny," Joyce giggled, rolling her eyes, "Who do you think I am? I know what it's like to be married to a man like Snape... I'm married to his godson for Merlin's sake."

Confused still, Ginny's eyebrows knitted together, "I-"

"Nothing happens in our lives," she whispered, "Look around... It's all women in here. If their husbands are older, they retire... If they're younger, they work! I hadn't seen Draco in ages... The heads at the Ministry are in the process of moving him up to a management position."

"Oh..." Ginny paused, pursing her lips, "Are you saying we have nothing in our lives but our husbands?"

"Well, I have children in mine now," Joyce countered, resting a hand on her stomach, "My boy's off with mum..."

Mum. Oh... Mum. A few tears suddenly sprung expectantly out of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, causing her to hastily grab a napkin and dab them away.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Joyce whispered, inching her chair around and rubbing her back, "I... I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sure you can adopt, or-"

"No, no it's not that," Ginny whimpered, dabbing her eyes again, "I haven't seen my mum in ages... Months. It seems like forever."

"Oh, Ginny, I'm so sorry."

"I see my brothers at the shop, yeah," she gushed, finally feeling some of the thoughts that had been on her mind for the longest time seep out, "But you know, it's not the same. A girl needs her mum..."

Joyce sat silently for a moment, then gave Ginny a small smile, "I think I can help you... Would you like that?"

"How?" Ginny whined, feeling her eyes getting redder, "I promised Snape I'd only be gone a little while..."

"Where is he? At home waiting?"

"Well..." No, no he wasn't, "He's at the Malfoys."

"God, those Malfoys are everywhere, aren't they?" she laughed, her hand still running up and down the full lengthy of Ginny's back softly, "C'mon... I'll take you out for the best lunch you've ever tasted... It's free."

* * *

"Mum?" Joyce shouted, shrugging off her cloak as she held a rather old looking door open for Ginny. Her home, well, her old home, looked so much like the Burrow it was difficult for Ginny to keep her composure. No doubt it was for a big family, as when Ginny glanced up the staircase, she noted the house was charmed with several extra floors. She heard the clatter of plates from a back room, and suddenly a pair of tiny feet came hurdling down the hall, accompanied by the tiny body.

"Mummy!"

"Hi, handsome," Joyce greeted, bending down as much as she could and sweeping up the one and a half year old boy, his blonde hair a mess, with hints of jelly in it, "Have you been good for grandma?"  
He chewed on a finger shyly, his large blue eyes landing on Ginny, and she smiled, "Hi there..."

"This is Shane," Joyce introduced, grasping his hand and shaking it in Ginny's direction, "And Shane, this is Mummy's new friend Ginny Snape... Can you say hi for Mummy?"

He grinned, but kept his finger in his mouth, then finally let out a loud laugh as Ginny made a goofy face at him. He was so adorable!

"Hard to believe he's Draco's kid," Ginny chuckled.

"Finally, someone who agrees with me!" a male voice boomed from the room behind her, which when she looked back, turned out to be a sitting room. A man, maybe a little younger than Joyce strode out of the room, his similar blonde hair matching hers completely. She rolled her eyes, "This is my brother, Max... Max, this is Ginny Snape, the one I told you about."

"Oh, right, nice to meet you," Max greeted, extending his hand to vigorously shake hers, "Pity about being married off to a Death Eater..."

"Max!"

"What, I'm just being honest! Can't I do that?"

"You're being rude!"

"No, no it's ok," Ginny said loudly, breaking up the sibling argument, "Really... It's nice to see someone who doesn't think the relationship is all wonderful butterflies and moonbeams."

"I've met Snape, and those are hardly metaphors I'd use to describe him," Max snorted, running a hand through his shaggy hair, "I don't mean to rush off, but I've got a date."

"Have fun," Joyce muttered, leaning up as he kissed her on the cheek, then smiling when he ruffled Shane's hair. Ginny smiled as he bid her farewell, then suddenly had a strong urge to go see her own brothers.

"Come on, let's get something to eat."

Joyce led her down a narrow hall, then into a rather large kitchen. Oh, it was far too much like the Burrow...

"Mum, this is Ginny," Joyce said loudly as she set Shane back down onto a chair, bringing Ginny from her thoughts, "I promised her a good meal... "

"Oh, of course, hello!" the older woman greeted. She was slimmer than her mother, but with a similar smile and a warm pair of eyes, "My name is Henrietta Jameson... What can I get you to eat?"

"Anything, really," Ginny said weakly, her smile a little shaky, "Whatever you have."

"Well, grilled cheese was going to be the lunch, then Master Shane here decided he wanted fruit instead," Henrietta droned, rolling her eyes at the little boy, who laughed again. Joyce fussed over him, then chuckled, "He seems a bit of a mess... I'm going to go get him cleaned up."

"Right, just watch out for Alfred... He's asleep somewhere up there."

"My younger brother," Joyce explained quickly as she hoisted Shane up onto her hip, taking the spoon out of his hand and tossing it back on the table, "We'll be back in five minutes..."

Ginny watched as Joyce playfully marched out of the kitchen with Shane, then looked back over to Henrietta, who had dawned a cooking apron and was now stewing over a simmering pot.

"Now... deary, what would you..." She froze in mid-sentence when she looked back and noticed Ginny had started to cry again. Her face softened, and she turned off the Muggle stove, "Come here, tell me all about it..."

Ginny let out a sob.

* * *

With a full stomach, and a clear head, Ginny made her way home from the Jameson residence. She spent nearly an hour crying to Henrietta, a woman she had barely met yet felt so comfortable with. Joyce seemed to have an alternative reason for taking her son out of the kitchen that afternoon, and only returned once Ginny had cried everything out.

"That was a long lunch," Snape commented from the bed as she strolled into the bedroom, depositing her purse onto the dresser, "Enjoy it?"

She stood silent, watching him for a moment or so. He was treating her so well... He had always treated her well, atleast once she was called his wife. She had discussed this with Henrietta in quite vivid detail, and while the woman did express her utter disliking for Severus Snape, she did explain to Ginny that as long as she had a man that treated her kindly, she was safe.

"Is everything all right?" he droned, still not looking up from his book, "Your silence astounds me."

Forcing away a glare, Ginny shrugged off her jacket, then made her way over to the bed, stopping at his side. He frowned, then peered up at her, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she murmured, taking the book away gently and climbing onto the bed, onto him, and resting her head on his chest, then placing the book back into his hands, "Everything's fine."

The book sat limply in the curve of his palms, and he let it slump down to his stomach, "Ginny?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?"

"Closing my eyes for a little bit," she sighed, enjoying how good it felt to close her eyes. After crying for long periods of time, Ginny always felt sleepy. As for the whole 'crawling-onto-Snape' thing, she decided it was one way to show her appreciation. Her potions skills were average, nothing to impress him with, and nothing she could perform would really get him anything he liked. So, this gesture, as simple as it was, let him know that she was thankful, even if it was only a little bit.


	6. Chapter 6

"Severus?" Ginny said as she cleared the plates off the table, "I... I want to ask you something."

Eight months into marriage, and she was still a little nervous about asking him for things she really wanted.

It hadn't been an entirely difficult eight months. Once she had just accepted the fact that she may only get to see her brothers again, not her mother, and with Joyce having her second baby, she was very busy. It didn't matter, Severus could make adequate company, when he wanted to. Sometimes they played chess, which shocked Ginny, as he was rather good, but she never really took him for much of a player. Other days she dragged him out of the house and into town, usually to do some grocery shopping. They had house elves, yes, but Ginny preferred to pick out her own food. Severus always made a fuss, and complained the entire time she pulled him around, but when he got home, he was always in the best of moods. He was an odd man, that Severus Snape.

His socks were always in categories, all black, and varied in ankle heights. He hated skin on his chicken, and usually picked it off, which for some reason irritated Ginny. Anytime it rained, he had to be in his study, and expressed no preference whether she joined him or not. He spent long hours reading books on Dark Magic, and whipping up Potions for Voldemort whenever he requested it.

Ginny had seen the all powerful Voldemort on several occasions. Once, he had actually _attended_ a party, but only to deliver some orders to the elder Death Eaters, Snape included, and left swiftly. Other times he came to the house, usually to have a glass of brandy up in Snape's study; she knew, she usually served them. Voldemort always seemed rather smug whenever Snape asked Ginny to do something in the relaxed tones she had gotten used to.

Stupid bastard.

"What is it, Ginny?" Snape queried as she handed the pile of plates to an awaiting house elf, then strolling off the a cabinet the get them something to drink.

"I was wondering if you could... do something for me."

She heard the chair crack behind her, signaling he was either shifting to get comfortable, or out of _dis_comfort. Either one could work to her advantage.

"What did you have in mind?"

"You sit up in your study for... hours on end," she began, pouring him a glass of brandy and sauntering back to the table, setting it down beside him, "I know that you study Dark Magic-"

"Ginny, my life will always contain something dark to it," he stated, cutting her off and taking a sip, "Thank you, by the way."

"I'm not angry that you're studying dark magic," she confessed, grabbing her chair and swinging around closer to him, "I'm worried, I can honestly say, of what it will do to you... But... I want you to... to teach me."

His lips curved around the edges, and he let out a dry laugh, "Teach you? Why would you _need_ to learn anything new? You're a clever young witch, Ginny."

"But what if someone attacked me?" she asked, deciding to try this from a different point, "I mean... I'd be safer if I had some knowledge of the Dark Arts under my belt."

"You studied defense in school," he countered swiftly, "I remember teaching you... You were fine."

She let out an exasperated sigh and ran a hand through her hair, "Look... I'm not asking much... All I want you to do is teach me a few things here and there... You've trusted me enough to give me my wand back!"

Yes, she had gotten it months ago, but she liked to flaunt the fact that she hadn't tried to brutally harm him in any way with her wand, unless smacking him upside the head with it counted.

Gods, that was hilarious...

Anyway.

"I'm not arguing this with you, Ginevra," he said sharply, using her full name as if it made his point fact, "I will not teach you."

"Why not?" she demanded, rising so quickly her chair threatened to tip backwards and completely ruin the power-struggle, "I want to learn! I want to know these things!"

"Why?"

"Why not?"

He rose from his seat, towering over her, glaring down his nose at her, "Because I said no, and I forbid you to try and learn it on your own."

"How dare you? You cannot tell me what I can and cannot do! You don't own me! If I want to learn it, I will!"

"I'll lock you out and away from the bloody books!"

"Why?"

"Because it's dangerous!" he roared, causing her to flinch at how close he suddenly was, "Because I know you'll get hurt in doing it! I won't lose more people because of me, Ginevra! So whether you like it or not, as you've so delicately put it, I refuse to teach you!"

She watched as he swiped up his drink and stormed out of the dining hall, his cloak billowing behind him and his footsteps echoing in her ears, even moments after he had left.

A fight was to be expected, but for once, his side of the argument entailed keeping her safe. How odd. Ginny rolled her eyes and hurried out after him, following the angry grumblings and door slams until she found herself standing outside his study, listening for anything to be thrown and smashed. He was quite violent when he was really, really angry, she discovered.

Timidly she pushed her way inside, shutting the door softly behind her. He was seated at his leather chair by the window, the same one he glued himself to whenever it rained; did he just sit and stare outside?

"I'm sorry," Ginny grunted, "I... I didn't mean to upset you."

"I suppose I... " she could almost hear him grind his teeth together, "... might have overreacted slightly."

She smiled and made her way over, pushing his hands aside and gingerly taking a seat on his lap, something she did on rare occasions. If he bought her something very expensive, or she was trying to get him to see her point were the times she ever really cuddled with him.

He curved his arm around her, resting his drink hand on her legs, "Ginny..."

"You don't need to go really dark with me or anything," she said quickly, wrapping her arm around his shoulder, "Just... maybe a little brush ups on how to defend myself, it's been a long time."

"But I can look after you," he argued quietly, almost pleadingly, "I can make sure you're safe... You don't need to."

"I want to know," she murmured, "What if I need to defend _you_?"

He snorted loudly and raised an eyebrow, and Ginny rolled her eyes, "Right, right, I know, won't happen... But, just a quick refresh... It'll give you a break from the Potions, and me a break from spending your money."

"You've swayed me."

* * *

Ginny let out a puff of air as she was flipped onto her back, landing hard on the training mat Snape had set up. Her husband chuckled loudly behind her, "Come on, Ginny... Surely you can't have forgotten everything you learned at Hogwarts? Yes, most of the staff was inadequate-"

Ginny kicked out and knocked his knees out from under him, sending him sprawling back onto the floor. She couldn't but grin when she heard him release a grunt, either from pain or exhaustion, "_That_ was not fair... Dark Wizards are trying to stop using Muggle techniques."

"Exactly why I should use them," Ginny snickered, rolling onto her side, her legs still locked together as one, "And I wasn't ready, otherwise I would have been able to deflect that spell."

"I have my doubts..."

"Don't be flip with me," she snapped, using her arms to crawl forward and stuff her wand in his face, "I could turn you into a lot of nasty things right now, Severus Snape."

"Oh... You frighten me so," he droned, catching her wrist and dragging her on top of him, pressing a pressure point harshly. She squirmed for a moment or two, then released her wand, hitting him on the shoulder with her free hand, "That's not fair... I don't know where any of the pressure points are."

"I told you you'd never win against me," he laughed, tossing her wand aside and rolling over, setting her down tenderly on her back, "Admit it and I'll unlock your legs."

Ginny shot him a mock look of horror, "I think not... I can stay here all night."

"I think I have a longer patience than you, Ginny."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"As I recall, you were impatient waiting for someone to pick out what sort of cookie they'd like at the store."

"Well excuse me, but if they wait in line for thirty minutes and still don't know what they want, I deserve to yell!"

"I suppose you do," he mused, shaking his head as he smiled down at her, "Fine, you don't need to admit anything."

"Thank you."

"A kiss will be sufficient enough."

Ginny froze; a kiss? Well, they were married, and she had gotten into the habit of kissing him on the cheek when she went to sleep, so this shouldn't seem so unheard of. Not that she would let her uneasiness show, "All right."

She propped herself up on her elbows and tilted her head up, waiting for him to meet her halfway, if he really wanted the kiss. Everything remained still for a moment, until she finally closed her eyes, inhaling sharply when she felt a pair of lips on hers. She had expected it to feel awkward, since the first time she kissed him on the lips, it was forced in front of Voldemort, and that was almost ten months ago.

But this... This wasn't too bad. Other than the fact it was _Snape_, and there was very little attraction toward him. His voice, low and alluring, was what Ginny mainly liked, besides his personality, when he wasn't fighting with her about something stupid.

He wasn't forceful with her, and almost seemed to wait for her to make all the moves. Perhaps he was worried he would go too far for her? Maybe. Ginny pushed herself up further and slid her arms up his chest, then around his neck, breaking away for a second, "The counter-curse first."

"Very well," he whispered coolly, flicking his wand at her legs, which sprang apart. Ginny crawled up onto her knees, while Snape remained in the same position on the ground, his hand resting lazily on her hip.

"Ginny..."

"I think I need to go put something cold on my back," she managed to get out, giving him a quick kiss before rising and shuffling out of the dungeons, where they had been doing drills for almost three weeks. She wasn't sure why she left, exactly, but she did.

That night, she went to bed earlier than Severus, but lay awake for almost two hours, just staring into the darkness. When he finally came to bed, she noted he moved in near silence, and if the bed hadn't dipped when he crawled into it, she wouldn't have noticed him in the room in the first place.

She let out a sigh and rolled over forcefully, staring at him in the darkness, "Severus."

"Ginevra."

"I shouldn't have left."

"I didn't expect you to stay."

She frowned, then sat up on her elbow, "What do you mean by that?"

"Not many women are interested in kissing me, Ginny," he droned, shutting his eyes and placing his hands on his stomach, "It wasn't exactly a shock to the ego when you left."

"Severus, I just-"

"You don't need to explain yourself, especially to me," he scoffed, his eyes still closed, though she could tell by the lines on his face he was trying very hard to keep them closed. Biting her lip, she leaned over the best she could, trying not to dip the bed in to give a hint that she was there, and brought her lips down on his, apparently shocking him, as he jumped, his hands flying up and into her. Her half-closed eyes watched his dark ones whip open, confusion riddled in them, then a sudden understanding.

Cautiously, her hands began to wander his chest, which was cold, bare, to her touch, but he stopped her with one hand, and pushed her face away gently with the other, "I do not need pity, Ginevra."

"I'm not giving you any," she murmured, trying to lean back down and kiss him again, but he held her up, shaking his head.

"Really... You cannot seriously _want_ to kiss me. You don't need to do this."

"I want-"

"Don't lie," he growled, causing her to swallow thickly, her eyes flashing. How dare he? She was the one trying to do this, and he tells her no? Ginny pulled herself free and swung her legs over the side of the bed, then get off in a hurry, flinging her housecoat over her arms carelessly, "Fine. Fine, you want to be like that... Fine."

"Ginny, don't be childish and just go back to sleep."

"I wasn't asleep," she snapped harshly, storming out of the bedroom and slamming the door with all the force she could.


	7. Chapter 7

Ginny glared at herself in the mirror, applying some eye shadow as Snape moved around behind her, getting ready for their night out. It had been a week since he rejected her, and it was one of the most uncomfortable weeks she had had with him. 

Yes, he tried to explain himself, and even try to get back on her good side, but after a few days, he just stopped trying. And that only irritated her more, it was as if she wasn't worth trying to win back anymore. 

"I don't know how long this will go until," Snape said stiffly as he pulled on a dress cloak, "Are you going to be feeling ill this evening?" 

"Depends on the food," Ginny replied, stuffing her eyeliner back into the make-up bag and rising, leaning a little closer to make sure it was even, "Why am I the one that always needs to fall ill? Can't you ever do it?" 

"Because it looks pathetic if I say we're going home because I don't feel well." 

"Well people are going to start asking why I always leave, and why I'm always sick..." Ginny mused, pulling her lengthy hair up into a ponytail.

Snape cleared his throat, "You know, your hair is much more fetching when it is down." 

She froze, then glanced at him in the mirror, "Oh, is it now?" 

"Very much so," he chuckled, leaning back against the bed, "Ginny... I don't want us going out tonight in a foul mood with each other, so can we just put this behind us?" 

"Will you accept that I may actually want to kiss you?" she demanded, flinging her cloak on over her shoulders, "And not get all self-pitied-" 

"I do not pity myself," he sniped sourly, "I merely state the truth." 

"You are so stubborn!" she exclaimed, planting her hands on her hips and letting out a small growl, "I mean... If I told you I'd shag you you'd still stand there and tell me I shouldn't do it out of pity-" 

"You shouldn't-" 

"I wouldn't!" she ground out, her eyes narrowing, "Severus, you are impossible." 

"I am not impossible," he argued as she went for her wand, "You just won't let things go." 

"I do let things go once they are fixed!" she fired back, stalking over to him and grasping the front of his cloak, "If I kissed you right now, would you push me away?" 

"Well, considering you may hex me into a bat if I do, probably not," he prattled, rolling his eyes, "I quite like being human." 

"Be serious with me, for once, and stop being a prat," she snarled, stepping up on the tips of her toes,

"Kiss me." 

"No." 

"Why not?" 

"Because we're late enough as it is." 

Ginny's shoulders slumped and she took a step back, "Fine. Let's just go then." 

"Ginny-" 

"C'mon." 

"There's another reason why I won't kiss you." 

Ginny turned back to him and raised an eyebrow, "Oh really? I didn't think the whole 'no one wants to kiss me' act was it... Out with it." 

Snape grumbled something under his breath, then sighed, "You were my student." 

Shocked, Ginny's arms fell to her sides. He didn't want to kiss her because she was once his student? Perhaps he had a conscience after all. She shifted in place, then crossed her arms over her chest, "That's all?" 

"Mostly..." he sighed, "Though you may think I'd be able to take any girl by force, I'm not that much of a monster." 

"I never thought that... That's just a stupid Death Eater rumour," she argued, shrugging, "I mean, I haven't heard many stories about Death Eaters raping their victims... Any of them I hear are usually false." 

Death Eaters tortured their victims, but as far as Ginny knew, besides kicking and slapping, along with a few punches, Death Eaters never really physically groped or felt up people. She guessed they didn't want to sully their hands. There were a few, she was sure, with sick and twisted minds, but Snape refused to let them around himself or Ginny. Atleast, she guessed he refused. One evening, they ran into a few of the younger Death Eaters, some of the last teens to get the Mark so early, and Snape told them off before they could say anything at all to Ginny. 

"Look... We're married," Ginny stated, shifting her weight between feet again, "And... And I know I was your student, but I put aside the fact you were my professor as soon as I left Hogwarts." 

"I suppose you're not a teenager anymore," he remarked, his eyes traveling over her, "But I'm not comfortable with it, at the present time." 

"Fine, that's more understandable than what you told me the other night," she agreed, walking forward and taking his hand, "Now we're _really_ late... Shall we?" 

The couple slipped into the dinner reception just in time, and they found a seat with the usual couple, the Malfoys included, and Ginny frowned upon noticing Joyce was not with a rather foul looking Draco. 

"Where's dear wife?" she inquired, taking the seat next to him as Severus sat across from her next to Lucius.

Draco rolled his eyes, "I asked her to come, but she said she didn't want to leave the babies alone... I asked if she wanted her mother to sit with them, she threw a bloody book at me." 

"Was she not feeling well?" Ginny inquired, smiling as the waiter poured her a glass of water. Draco shrugged, "How was I supposed to know? Every time I tried talking to her, she shouted at me." 

"Well, you've probably done something without noticing, again." 

She had gotten used to Draco Malfoy. He had matured quite a bit since school, and was no longer the insufferable git that he used to be. 

Not all the time anyway. 

He reminded her a lot of his father, who was not the horrible man she had imprinted in her mind. Both were courteous towards her, as was expected in Pureblood society, sarcastic when they thought no one was listening, and Lucius had an odd habit of walking into things when he wasn't paying attention.  
She supposed Draco tolerated her, as she was the one, along with Severus, that he usually came to sit with at parties, at least until some of his school mates arrived. 

"I don't understand how I could have possibly done anything," he grumbled to her, glaring at his plate, "It's the first time I've seen her in almost two weeks." 

"Well, that seems to be the problem than, doesn't it?" she laughed, casting a look down the lengthy table. She had gotten used to the appearances of the people that attended the gatherings, dinners and such, but she never really wanted to get to know them, so she never asked for their names. 

They placed their order, Severus ordering the fish instead of the chicken, while Ginny ordered the largest beef meal on the menu. Once that had been taken care of, small conversations settled back in. 

"Look, it's not my fault that I work," Draco snapped, his pale blues landing on her, "I provide for the family-" 

"How often have you seen your daughter?" Ginny inquired, leaning back in her chair and cocking her head to the side, "What colour are her eyes?" 

He fidgeted with the sleeve of his shirt, "I... I've seen her enough. She's really cute, my Eloise. And her eyes are..." he paused, "Blue. Her eyes are blue." 

"Well done, considering that she is a blonde," Ginny snapped, shaking her head, "Her eyes are the exact same colour as yours." 

"Yeah, well," he stammered, "I don't always look at the colours of my eyes... So I wouldn't make the comparison." 

"No need to get defensive," Ginny laughed, patting his hand, "Look. Obviously you aren't spending enough time with Joyce, and she's upset. So, I suggest you take maybe a week off of work just for her." 

"I can't though," Draco sighed, ignoring the waiter as he set down the appetizer, a caesar salad, "It's been so hectic, and I already take off my weekends..." 

"Yeah, but you two have a row almost each and every time," she snorted, smiling at the waiter and digging into the leafy plate before her, noticing Severus do the same across the table. Gingerly, she slipped her feet out of her shoes and placed them on top of his, catching his gaze when he looked up. A half smile, on his part, signaled he was perfectly fine with it, and she turned her attention back to Draco, who had stopped talking when he obviously noticed her and Snape making eyes. 

"Draco, I don't know," she sighed before he could say anything, "Joyce seems a bit picky with you... Maybe you should just sit down and discuss things." 

"The woman always throws something at me whenever we talk..." he grumbled, which caused Lucius to snort loudly. Ginny looked across at him sharply, then raised an eyebrow, "What?" 

"Women always suggest talking things through," Lucius reasoned, setting his salad fork on the empty plate and pushing it away, "That doesn't always work for men. Most of the time they tune out those talks." 

"Oh really?" Narcissa asked coldly from his left, her eyes glaring into him, "How many of our talks have you tuned out?" 

"None, dearest," he answered smoothly, resting his arm on the back of her chair, "I was saying men in general... I do not do that, and would never dream of doing it." 

Yes, that was why Lucius was usually looking down his wife's shirt whenever she was trying lecture him about something stupid he had done. Ginny rolled her eyes and leaned back for the waiter to take her salad plate, "Well, Draco, you have children, so you both need to stop screaming at each other when you're in close proximity and try to make it work out for _them_." 

"Well said," Narcissa praised, shooting her son a look, "It would be nice to _see_ those children of yours, Draco." 

"Mother... Please, I'm trying to work out dates where Joyce isn't doing something with them." 

Ginny looked away, deciding to let the Malfoys battle out their own issues, when she suddenly noticed something. A familiar face sitting at the end of the table. Cautiously she leaned a little closer, and her eyes widened; it was Dean! What the bloody Hell was he doing here? 

His chocolate eyes suddenly met hers, and he raised a finger to his lips in a subtle motion, then returned to his conversation with the portly woman sitting across from him. 

"Ginny?" Snape murmured, not getting any attention from the Malfoys, "Is everything alright?" 

"Fine," she murmured breathlessly, shooting him a halfhearted smile, then sending Dean another look, "Everything's fine."


	8. Chapter 8

Ginny noticed Dean excuse himself from the table, and her eyes followed him into one of the side halls. She dabbed her napkin at the corners of her mouth and rose, mouthing to Severus that she needed the toilet. He seemed as though he wanted to say something, but before he could, Draco had asked him a question on Floo devices from the Middle Ages, which seemed to take his attention quickly.

Her pace was slow and calm as she walked across the hall, giving people a fake smile whenever she received one, but as soon as she was out in the new hallway, she broke off into a run. Her eyes searched the well lit hall for Dean desperately, and she let out a shocked scream when a hand suddenly grasped her from behind. Whipping back, her eyes widened at Dean's handsome face, then suddenly narrowed,

"What the fuck are you doing here? Are you trying to get killed?"

"Good to see you, too, Ginny," he snapped, obviously trying to hold back a smile, "C'mon, let's go."

"Go where?" she demanded, wrenching her arm loose, "Dean... Dean what are you doing here?"

"I'm here for you," he droned, sounding slightly annoyed at the questioning, "I'm getting you out of here!"

For some reason, Ginny's stomach knotted and twisted as she stood in place, her mouth dry. He was here to help her? Finally someone had come?

"Dean... I... I can't leave."

They shared a similar thought there, as she too was astounded with what had come out of her mouth. Dean frowned and shook his head, "Ginny... I haven't been able to sleep properly since they took you... I'm so sorry I left, but I didn't have a choice."

"Of course you did," she snapped, suddenly feeling a sense of hatred toward him, "You could have fought them for me... But you just left, left me to die!"

"They didn't kill you, and I don't think they will," Dean argued, fingering the collar of his shirt anxiously, "Look, Ginny... I took the Mark to get in with these people... I've been pretending to be one of them for months, and-"

"What?" she exploded, her eyes widening, then darting down to his arm, "You took the bloody _Mark_? What's wrong with you, Dean?"

The Mark was permanent! It would last him the rest of his mortal life, and perhaps haunt him once he had died. How could he just... take it? Ginny shook her head, trying to make sense of it all, then recoiled when he tried to take her hand again, "I don't know you anymore..."

"I took it for you," he pleaded, his eyes searching her face for some sort of care, "I did it to get you back, to take you home."

Ginny stepped back, the thought of home running through her head. Home? Home wasn't the Burrow anymore. Her family, all of them, except the twins, had run to Scotland to one of the safe houses; they needed to. Ginny shook her head, "I can't leave, I'm married now."

Dean rolled his eyes, "What, to Snape? I heard all about it, and that doesn't count... Just because he stuffs a ring on your finger and makes you sleep in the same bed as him doesn't mean you're married!"

"It does... Voldemort makes all these things legally binding!" Ginny argued. She wasn't quite sure _why_ she was defending her marriage to Dean. It had happened once before, with Fred and George, when she needed to shout at them that Snape was her husband now, and if they continued to make a fuss about it, she was going to turn them into blobs of slime. They knew better; she'd done it before.

"I... I came back because I realized I couldn't live with myself knowing they had you," he explained delicately, "Please, Gin... Let me take you home."

She studied him for a moment, taking in his sincere eyes and fancy new suit. It didn't seem like he was exactly suffering while being a Death Eater. At least, not physically. Mentally could be a different story.

"Do the others know you're here?"

"I told them I would do some spying while trying to rescue you," he informed her formally, stuffing his hands into his pockets, "Ginny, I think I'm still... still in love with you."

Ginny swallowed thickly, then let out a dry laugh, "You don't love me, Dean... We hate each other most of the time, remember?"

"I haven't been able to live without seeing you," he groaned, taking a step toward her, "Look... Ginny I can apparate us away and we can be safe-"

"You'll do no such thing," she snarled, drawing out her wand and raising it to him, "I need to stay here."

"You're married to Snape!"

"I know, and I'm handling it just _fine_!"

"Ginny!"

"Dean, enough!" she was almost at the shouting point, and needed to calm herself, otherwise with her temper, Dean would end up seriously injured, "I'm not leaving. I'm sorry you did all of this, but I can't leave."

It seemed as if he wanted to just stagger back and fall to the ground, for the hurt in his eyes was so evident it pained her to look at him. Dean's eyes narrowed, "What sort of spell does he have you under?"

"Nothing!" she exclaimed, letting out a frustrated groan, "Dean, I swear it! I _want_ to stay!"

"You know I can make you leave-"

"Mr. Thomas," Snape's placid voice interrupted, "Please step away from my wife, or she will be forced to hurt you."

Ginny side-stepped Dean and made her way over to Snape, "What brings you out here?"

"The distress of my wife," he replied smoothly, placing a hand on her lower back, "Everything alright?"

"It's fine," she muttered, looking at Dean, "We press each other's buttons all the time... I just got a little hot-headed, right Dean?"

The man across from her cleared his throat and nodded, his voice quite unenthusiastic, "Yeah... Yeah, we always fight. No need for alarm, Snape."

Snape mumbled something out to himself, then turned away in silence, leading Ginny back into the dining hall. She composed a natural look for the people that had bothered to watch the pair, "How long were you standing there?"

"A little while," he replied before they went their separate ways. She watched him as he returned to his seat, then held in a grin when she noticed how smug he suddenly looked.

* * *

"Ginny, may I ask you something?"

"Hmmm?"

They had arrived home at nearly four in the morning, which was the latest she had ever seen Snape stay out for a dinner, and was a little surprised he didn't hint he wanted to leave.

"Dean said he was still in love with you," he remarked bluntly, leaning back against the wall, shirtless, as she changed into her nightdress in the bathroom, "Did that... mean anything to you?"

She let out a snort and exited the bathroom, tossing her worn clothes into the hamper, "Coming from Dean? No. He's been in love and out of love with me too many times before. So you were standing there for some time... It's not polite to eavesdrop."

"I... I was curious," he stated, his eyes boring into her as she climbed into bed, "I wanted to see how you would react to someone more your age telling you he loved you."

"What did you think was going to happen?" she laughed, shimming down under the comforter, "I was going to run off and live a fairytale life?"

"Perhaps... He offered it."

"I wouldn't marry Dean, not if my life depended on it," she stated truthfully, shooting him a smile, "Come to bed... You look tired."

"I'm fine, I can assure you," he chuckled, pushing the covers away and sitting on his side of the bed, staring at her, "If it had been someone else, would you have left?"

If it had been Harry that turned up, which would never happen, she may have said yes. But it was Dean, and only Dean. Ginny shifted, "I don't know... Maybe."

"Ah."

An uncomfortable silence settled over the pair, and she watched as he got deeper into the bed, resting in his usual position; on his back, hands resting on his stomach. Ginny groaned softly, "No... Honestly, I think I would have stayed no matter what."

"And why, in Merlin's name, would that be?"

Ginny inched a little closer, placing a hand delicately on his arm, "I don't know... Just because."

His eyes fluttered open as she flicked off the lights with her wand, then set it on the table beside the bed. Then, as gingerly as she could, she lifted his arm up and slid underneath it, resting her head on his chest, which was rather comfortable. His arm curled around her back and she felt him rest his head atop hers, his fingers softly tracing shapes on her skin. Maybe this wasn't too bad after all...

Maybe.


	9. Chapter 9

"Ha!" Ginny exclaimed as her queen swept in and chopped down Snape's king, "And that's what I call beating you ... Utter slaughter." 

Snape rolled his eyes and watched as his king was hauled off the chess board, "You know... I think you're improving." 

"You think?" she chuckled, glancing out the window into the dismal, rainy evening, "Either that or you're letting me win." 

"Both are possible," he muttered, leaning back in his seat, seeming content, "Another round?" 

"We've been playing for ages," she sighed, shaking her head and standing up, then giving a relaxing stretch, "I think bed is in order for me..." 

"Awfully early, Ginny," he commented as she sauntered across the room, "Surely you're old enough to stay up past one." 

She paused, then turned back, glaring at him. Another six months or so had passed since she started actually _cuddling_ with him when she slept, and now that it had been happening for so long, she found it difficult to go to sleep without him. Things were finally starting to relax around the household. After nearly two years of marriage, Ginny had gotten used to Snape's odd little routines, his snappish remarks, and his desire to actually have some sort of intimate relation with her. Any sort, she was sure. 

It had started with gifts; more perfumes that she found smelled Heavenly, chocolates that she had discovered were delicious, and a new broom for her to fly around the property. Snape expressed that he had no want, or need, to ever be on a broom, no matter how hard she pleaded with him.  
The dinners had lessened as the months passed, and while Hogwarts was still open to students and run by ex-Ministry officials, there was always that fear amongst the staff that Voldemort would take control of the castle. It would happen one day, sooner or later. While many Death Eaters had remained close, Ginny was no longer forced to sit with anyone she couldn't tolerate. The Malfoys were quite easy to accept, even the male side of the family. She spent a lot of time with Narcissa, though she had never been one for wandering the shops without a purpose. 

"I was going to ask you to join me, Severus," the redhead snapped, "But if you're going to be like _that_-" 

"I was only joking with you," he snickered. "Naturally, I understand you can't possibly get to sleep without me anymore, so I'll join you." 

Ginny scoffed at him and rolled her eyes, "I can, too." 

"Let's not kid ourselves." 

"We're not." 

"Ha!" 

He strode toward her, the absence of his usual billowing robes quite noticeable, and stopped directly in front of her, "Shall we?" 

"Yes, we shall," she replied, her tone mocking his elegantly as she slipped her hand into his, then leaned up to plant a quick kiss on his cheek. He let out a sigh, and remained still when she started to walk, nearly yanking her back. Frowning, she gazed upon him, "What?" 

He stood silent for a moment, then shook his head, "Nothing." 

"Severus, tell me," she ordered, raising her eyebrow, "You can't keep telling me it's 'nothing'... I'm curious now." 

He stared down at her, his dark eyes almost causing her to look away; for some reason they made her uncomfortable, yet safe, all at the same time. Before she had time to react, he swooped down and cupped her face, dragging her up into a kiss. Ginny almost felt the urge to push him away, but for once, she just... didn't. 

For the first time she actually encouraged him, molding her body up into his when she took a step closer, ending the gap between them. She noticed how large his hands suddenly seemed as they left hers and ran over her arms and down to her back, nearly crushing her body against his. 

She shivered. Before she knew it, he had her backed up against the wall, a hand resting beside her head to keep his weight off her, while the other roamed on its own, pinching her teasingly every so often. 

He most definitely was _not_ like Dean. More experienced, and much slower would have summed up Snape, as he seemed to be taking some sort of joy in kissing her deepy at nearly a snail's pace.  
Ginny slid her hands up to his face, then finally pushing it away as gently as she could, her breathing heavy, "Give me a moment..." 

He grinned and nudged her chin, turning her head and exposing her neck. Soft, yet somehow firm, lips found their way down her neck, and Ginny suppressed a moan, closing her eyes contently.  
Snape shoved both himself and Ginny through the bedroom door with all the effort he could, thankful that they were finally at this stage. 

He never would have guessed that he would want to do this with her; she was his former student, his lesser... the girl of Harry Potter's eye. But now, he could hardly wait to take her. Perhaps it was something more then lust, there had to have been, but at the moment his need was taking over completely. 

Before they had made it to the bed, he had already dragged her shirt off over her head, tossing it carelessly on the floor, and was working to get rid of her red bra. 

Cliché _and_ Gryffindor, all at the same time. 

She broke their kiss, tossing her head back and letting out a moan, allowing Snape a moment to take in her flushed face, freckled with arousal. Was she actually turned on for _him_? Not that he was going to ask and completely ruin the submissive behaviour she was displaying, but he pocketed the thought in the back of his mind for later. 

He ducked down and managed to clutch the backs of her knees, hoisting her up slightly and thrusting her back onto their bed, not taking a moment to let her adjust before striking.


	10. Chapter 10

Snape lay back against the headrest of his seemingly small, although in reality quite large, bed, casually stroking Ginny's hair as she slept beside him. He smirked when her arm curled up against her bare chest, and she snuggled deeper into the covers, releasing a sigh of contentment.

It seemed he had needed a night with his wife for some time, as he had never felt more comfortable then at that moment. All of life's worries and troubles were just sort of placed away somewhere, hidden in his mind, and would only resurface when he let them; later.

She had changed so much since school, she was most definitely a woman now, he had seen to that. He needed to erase all those old memories of her when she was in school, when she was a girl, and continue to replace them with everything and anything that happened now that she was his wife. His eyes closed as he reminisced memories to place in his private Pensieve, ones that he would make sure to keep out of his mind.

_Ginny Weasley, another bloody redhead from that inbred farm, was seated first row in his First Year class, and just like her twit of a brother from the previous year, she seemed nervous.  
_

_First year was continuing for her, and Snape had watched the girl go from shy to outgoing to completely withdrawn from her classmates, shuffling between classes with her head down. Lucius had mentioned something about using a student for the Dark Lord, but preferred to keep the name a secret. Could Ginny be that student?  
_

_She was taken into the Chamber of Secrets... He had never seen Minerva so distraught.  
_

_Potter saved her - hurrah for bloody Potter for saving the day. Merlin.  
_

_Two years had progressed, and Ginny was one of the youngest members at the Yule Ball, with her date, urgh, Neville Longbottom. Snape was surprised her feet weren't hacked off by the boy's constant stepping on them. Well, when he got a closer look, he noticed the boy wasn't a completely horrid dancer, and Ginny was actually enjoying herself.  
_

_It was the end of her third year, and Voldemort had returned. She had been possessed by him two years earlier, yet she did not seem half as frazzled as the rest of the dunderheads around him.  
He saw her once during the summer at Diagon Alley, buying some new school robes with her mother. _

_Gods, she had gotten tall. Well, for a Weasley anyway.  
_

_Her fifth year... His __last__ year teaching for Hogwarts. She had flitted between several boys in the past two years, and her popularity was ever-growing. He had noticed a boy from his house, Blaise, constantly sending her looks, as if he was trying to decide something. Idiot boy.  
_

_He was gone from Hogwarts for her remaining years at school. However, he had seen her several times, although he had his doubts that she actually noticed him.  
_

Ginny stirred beside him and he ended his musings, glancing down at her; still asleep. Well, perhaps some of these memories were worth keeping. It helped him picture who Ginny was today, and why she was. Having so many memories of her was like knowing someone their whole life, and with Snape and Ginny, it was nearly true. On his part, anyway.

* * *

"Severus..." Ginny whispered casually, her eyes taking in the rich setting around her, "I was joking when I said it would be nice to eat here... You... You didn't-"

"Nonsense," he stated sharply, cutting her off, "I read the menu out front, and I must say, I was intrigued."

Another month had passed, and for once, it was a completely blissful month. No boring parties, no shouting matches... almost no arguing in general. Of course, they bickered over little things, but he would give her a quick kiss, sometimes, and she would just let it slide, telling him he couldn't always kiss her and expect things to get better. He'd usually just laugh and tell her he was working on it, and she needn't worry.

Their meal had consisted of duck for Ginny, which she now added to her favorites list, while Snape seemed quite content with his fish. However, that wasn't what really got to Ginny. She was so thrilled, in an odd way, with his behavior around so many Muggles. He was courteous to the waiter, and even made a joke with the man who accidentally bumped into his chair when he was tucking his wife in at the table behind the pair.

He was just acting so... like a husband lately. Well, for the past little while it had seemed. And she... she was acting like a _wife_. They shared inside jokes, they talked about whatever topics that popped into their minds, and they shared a rather vivid bedroom life, as much as it made Ginny feel giggly to say.  
She swung her chair around a little closer to Snape as their plates were cleared away, then delicately placed her hand over his. Despite being a reclusive man, Snape did not seem to actually mind public displays of affection.

He shot her a relaxed smile, and Ginny leaned a little closer, licked her lips, then whispered, "I... I love you."

Then she waited. She waited for the smile to falter, his eyes to widen, and his hand to snake away from hers. However, nothing of that sort came. He merely leaned in and gave her a quick kiss, "Of course you do... I love you, too."

* * *

"Severus... You're being stupid about this."

"Ginevra-"

Oh for Gods sake, he was using her full name as if it was some sort of threat. Ginny rolled her eyes and glared at him as he turned back to her, his eyes narrowed, "I'm not discussing this with you anymore!"

Three years into marriage. Three very, very long years. It had not been perfect, but granted, no marriage was. The fighting, however, had never been this severe, not since the beginning of it all.

"Why can't you even consider it?" she demanded, planting her hands on her hips, as usual, "I just want to know you might consid-"

"Ginny, please," he droned, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I'm too old to even _consider_having children..."

"Well I'm not!" she shrieked, throwing her hands in the air for dramatic effect, "I'm not even thirty... Bloody Hell, Severus, I'm not even twenty-five yet and you're telling me there's no way?"

"You have Draco's kids... You can see them."

"I haven't seen Joyce in ages! It's like their divorced or something..."

"Perhaps they are."

"_Don't_ change the subject!" she snarled furiously, "Keep on task! Even if I did see them, they aren't _my_kids! It's not the same!"

"I do not want children!" he reiterated firmly, "I spent countless years helping raise _other_people's children at Hogwarts, so please excuse me if I'm a little sick of children!"

"Sick of children?"

"Not sick... But... I'm too far into my life to start a new family!"

"Yeah well... This... This isn't fair!" she shouted, her eyes starting to well, though she had no understanding why, "I... I've always wanted kids... You can't just take that away from me!"

"I'm sorry..." he remarked, his tone softening, "I am... It's not your fault that you were forced into this marriage..."

"Don't bring that up," she ordered sharply, her voice cracking, "Just don't. You know I hate it when you do."

"Well... Then I'm finished with this conversation."

"Don't you walk away from me!"

"Good night, Ginny."

"Severus!"

* * *

Ginny sat staring out the window, watching the snow fall lightly on the glass. It was her sixth Christmas with Severus, and he was doing what he usual did on Christmas Day; scrambling around one of the Alleys trying to get her gifts, last minute. The very thought of it made her laugh.

Her fight about children was still an ongoing struggle, but she knew as time progressed, she was slowly losing. It wasn't as if Snape was getting any younger. However, for some reason, he just didn't feel so many years ahead of her. They were not on the same level, she knew that, but they were trying.  
As she sipped her hot chocolate gingerly, her eyes taking in the way her property looked in the snow, so elegant and comforting, she noticed something in the window reflection. A plant.

It was sitting in the corner, next to the Christmas tree, along with some other supplies. Clearly Snape was planning on sending it off to his clients, wherever they were in the world. He had set up some off-shore contacts and usually sold them supplies and Potion shipments. Ginny always encouraged the relationships he made, the friendships, since that meant they had an invite to some exotic country whenever they wanted a vacation.

She slid off her chair and made her way over, placing the mug atop the fireplace mantel, then kneeled down. As gently as she could, she touched the white, feathery pedals, smiling when it opened in her pale fingers. Moving closer still, she slowly inhaled the sweet scent, pulling away and dusting the pollen off her nose when she got too far into it.

Suddenly she felt something... different. A warm sensation had taken over her body, starting from the tip of her toes, and gingerly moving up her legs, the muscles relaxing. When the tingling reached her hips, she threw her head back as a small wave of pleasure rolled over her.

What the Hell was in that plant?

Ginny bit her lip as a feral smile spread across her face. _Something_ was definitely wrong the that plant, but that didn't mean wrong in a bad way. Quite on the contrary, she wanted to keep that pretty little plant all to herself. But she may need Snape for this, as she not felt that aroused in such a quick period of time in a long time, and she didn't want to feeling to go away. No, now she wanted release.  
The fireplace burst to life beside her, and Snape stumbled in, covered in tiny snowflakes that splattered his black cloak. His hands were full of packages, which he dropped upon arrival, and proceeded to dust the snow out of his wind-swept hair.

"Bloody weather," he snarled under his breath, freezing suddenly when he noticed Ginny on the floor, "There are countless chairs in this room... Any reason why you are sprawled out on the floor..." he paused, then cocked an eyebrow, "And ... panting?"

"I like this plant..." she giggled, nodding back to the small white plant in the corner, "I... I like it a lot."

"Oh, is that so?" he chuckled, folding his arms, "Don't you remember me telling you not to go shoving any sort of body part into my plants... You never know what could have happened."

"Stop being a lecturer," she ordered seductively, crawling toward him and tugging on the bottom of his cloak, "And start being a husband."

He grinned, then tossed his cloak off, sinking to his knees in front of her, "If you wish..."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Hello all, and thanks for enjoying this! I figured it was time to get all of this posted... because I wrote it a few years ago, and it seemed silly not to just upload everything now. The writing probably isn't my best work, but hey... It was from a few years ago, and it wasn't properly finished because at the time, I hadn't finished the story is was linked to. Anyway! Thanks for the support, and I hope I can continue to entertain! **


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